contact approach

[A Squared]

AxA,

Sounds like your ops specs allowed you to make contact approaches...ours specifically prohibited it.

Yeah, they do. They could probably be best described as "enough rope..."

 

[THE Flying Ace]

Another good situation to use the Contact Approach is when the clouds are just at the lowest altitude that approach will allow you to descend. You are breaking in and out of the clouds but they will not let you lower. I have just asked for a contact approach when you are clear of the clouds with the mile or greater of vis and descended 500 feet and was clear and a million. Fly straight to the airport and land. Of course, others have made it clear that you better be familiar with the surrounding terrain around the airport and I agree with that.

Also in Canada I have heard several times guys asking for and doing contact approaches when the weather was skunky. Of course those guys fly into the same airport ten thousand times a day.

 

[bafanguy]

Yeah, they do. They could probably be best described as "enough rope..."

...lol...I hear ya !!

 

[Swerpipe]

Best example of contact approach

The weather at the field is less than 1000-3 (therefore ATC can not issue a visual approach). You do not want to fly the full procedure. For instance you have the airport in sight and you are on a wide down wind. The vis is 2 miles. You say "airport in sight requesting contact approach" "cleared contact approach contact tower..." I think intimate knowledge of the airport and surroundings is a must otherwise, fly the procedure.

 

[Vector4fun]

I've done them when there was some night ground fog only about 20-30' thick. Could see the runway lights from 5 miles away on downwind for the Loc, but surface vis was only a mile or a bit more. As others said, probably not wise unless you know the airport/area well.

 

[greyhound]

Question...

I always thought you could request a contact approach if, for example,

You routing ends at a VOR on the field you're landing on. That VOR contains a feeder route to the initial approach fix, but it takes you away from the airport for 10 miles before you return inbound after completing the procedure turn.

I was under the impression you could just ask for a contact approach and forget about going 10 miles out when you can see the airport below you.

You have 1 to 2 miles vis of course.

Never done it but is this possible?