Page 17 - Volume 17 Number 11

Is It A Contact Or A Visual?The term “contact approach” is often confused with “visual approach”. Flying a contact approach assumes that the pilot is aware of the flight conditions and can maintain ground contact by remaining clear of clouds, with as little as one mile of visibility. Because of the limited flight visibility allowed, a request for a contact approach must come from the pilot and cannot be initiated by the controller. There must be an instrument approach procedure in place at the destination airport, and all obstruction clearance responsibility is placed on the pilot. The visual approach, by comparison, requires reported weather of at least three miles visibility and 1,000 feet of ceiling and will be a routine approach assigned by ATC.The Charted VisualSome airports will have charted visual approach procedures, using landmarks and supplemental navaidcourses. These are not instrument approach procedures, and therefore do not contain a missed-approach segment. Their purpose is keep traffic away from sensitive environmental areas. If a pilot reports a charted landmark in sight, or has the preceding aircraft in sight, the controller may assign the procedure.Minimum weather required to fly the charted visual is not based on the altitudes recommended in the procedure, but on minimum vectoring altitudes. Even if you see the terrain, the procedure can’t be used if reported weather is less than the minimum approved for the procedure.To RecapA visual arrival is a tool, just one more option in our bag of flying skills that can be useful, if applied correctly. Visuals should not be lightly regarded, as a poor •relation to a charted IAP. It takes practice and flexibility to pull it off. T&TNOVEMBER 2013TWIN & TURBINE • 15