Visual approaches

You clear an aircraft for a visual approach in two steps: first a sight report, then the clearance. This page also shows the named visuals from charts and the path that the aircraft flies to the runway.

How to control traffic Step 7 of 8

Visual approaches stay in the IFR clearance. They do not cancel the flight plan. They are different from a contact approach or a circling approach. Before the clearance sequence of two steps, you can give an optional expect instruction:

The sequence

First, you can give the name of the possible visual:

Iberia one two three four, expect Park Visual runway three one

The game records Park Visual, but it does not change the route, guidance, heading, altitude or WPT stage. The game can use this name for a subsequent short instruction, for example report the airport in sight. But the expect instruction does not replace the sight report or the clearance.

Before the clearance, tell the pilot to give a sight report:

Iberia one two three four, report runway two four left in sight

The pilot tells you when the aircraft sees the applicable reference, without a second instruction from you. The reference must be at a distance of not more than 20 NM. It must also be in 135° or less on each side of the nose. This angle includes 45° behind each wing.

If the aircraft sees the target at that time, the pilot speaks In sight, Iberia one two three four. If not, the pilot speaks Will report in sight, Iberia one two three four, and calls you when the aircraft sees the target. The pilot answers one time, at once, and does not repeat your instruction.

The sight report instruction is not a clearance. The runway in this instruction does not change the expected runway. Thus, the aircraft accepts the visual clearance that follows. If you give expect runway again for the same runway, the visual approach does not change. A different runway cancels the previous sight report.

In the same instruction, you can give a different object that the pilot can see:

Iberia one two three four, report the metal tower in the parking lot in sight

If that phrase is not a published visual reference, the game keeps it as the spoken label. The game then uses the identified runway to calculate if the pilot can see the target. The game does not make a position for the object, and it does not make a named procedure from it. To clear a named visual, you must use the correct published name.

Then give the clearance:

Iberia one two three four, cleared visual approach runway two four left

Named visuals

Named visuals from charts use the same sequence. But the sight report gives the name of the landmark or route in the airport data, and the clearance uses the published name:

Iberia one two three four, report the river in sight

Iberia one two three four, cleared River Visual approach

A short name, for example river, can identify the Potomac River in the airport data. This occurs only when one reference is applicable to the approach. If more than one reference is applicable, the pilot tells you to give the name again. After the pilot gives the sight report for that reference, it stays the reference for the applicable visual clearance.

Some named visuals have more than one sight reference from their source data. Each airport, runway, landmark or route that the pilot can see is a different target. If you select one target, the game does not count the other targets as in sight. In WPT, the right column changes to SIGHT REFERENCE, and the game selects the default reference from the chart. When you select a different reference, the game sends no instruction. After the pilot accepts the sight report instruction, the game keeps that reference until the sequence ends.

Park Visual at LaGuardia

1. Keep PACHU in front of the aircraft. Select Park Visual in WPT. Make sure that the card shows ENTRY · PACHU · AHEAD. If the card shows BEHIND, give vectors to the aircraft until PACHU is in front of it again.

2. Give the sight report instruction for the published reference.

   Iberia one two three four, report the Twin White Tanks in sight

3. Wait for the sight report from the pilot. The card changes to CLEAR PARK VISUAL only after that report.

4. Give the named clearance.

   Iberia one two three four, cleared Park Visual approach

If the sight report is not possible at this time, the aircraft keeps its route. The aircraft does not accept a clearance that you send before the applicable report. If you change the runway or the named procedure, the game cancels the previous sight report.

The path to the runway

It is not necessary to put the aircraft accurately on the first point of a named visual. After the pilot sees the correct reference, a forward-route visual flies to the nearest safe published fix or landmark anchor. It can make a large turn to that point. Then it follows the remaining approach in sequence. Necessary arcs and protected airspace, for example P-56 at Washington, also put limits on this path.

If no safe path to the approach is available, the pilot tells you that the aircraft must have vectors.

Near the airport, a generic visual intercepts the final course. It does not turn away from the final course. If the aircraft is on the final course at that time, it continues. If not, it intercepts the centerline 3 to 5 NM from the runway when this turn is 45° or less. It also accepts a base intercept up to 90°.

The pilot speaks unable visual approach, request vectors only when the aircraft cannot intercept in front of it. This occurs when the final is shorter than 3 NM.

A visual, charted or not, flies one steady descent along its own path through every altitude on the chart, and crosses the threshold at about 50 ft. It has no glideslope, so it never ends with approach guidance failure. An aircraft cleared while high still accepts: it descends up to about twice a normal 3° descent and rejoins the path, or goes around early with going around, too high if it cannot be stable by 500 ft. A chart that turns onto final low (Park Visual runway 31 at LaGuardia, about 400 ft) is judged against its charted route during the turn, and the aircraft must be lined up with the runway by 300 ft.

On the radar

To show a named visual, its landmarks and its constraints on the radar, open PROCS → IAP. This row only shows the procedure. It does not clear the aircraft. To give the sight instruction and the clearance, use the WPT menu of the aircraft and its full-width visual card. The card always shows the procedure, the runway, the selected sight reference, the entry status, the completed steps and one next step. When you select a procedure, the game sends no instruction.

Generic visuals show only in WPT, because the game makes their path for each aircraft.

MAPS → GEO → RIVERS shows the primary rivers, for example the Potomac. These lines help you read the radar. They do not change the procedure, and they do not change the targets that the pilot can see.

When a visual cannot continue

The go-around instruction is the same as for an instrument approach. See When an approach cannot continue.

A standalone visual uses go-around instructions from a chart only when its chart has them. Other visuals, for example River Visual, must have a heading, an altitude, or the two. Their WPT card shows INSTRUCTIONS REQUIRED. If the aircraft starts a go-around without your instruction, give instructions when the card shows ASSIGN GO-AROUND INSTRUCTIONS.

Next, use these clearances with real traffic in Your first session.