VATUSA
Virtual Air Traffic Simulation - USA Division
Vectoring For Visual Approaches
Visual Approaches are a very useful tool for approach controllers. A Visual Approach is simply an authorization for an IFR aircraft to proceed visually to the field.
That's very important to keep in mind. You never want to clear VFR Aircraft for a visual approach. It's an IFR procedure only. So with that, lets start by looking at what must be done for an aircraft to be cleared for a Visual Approach.
Requirements/Regulations
There are a few rules to understand about Visual Approaches:
1. In order to clear an aircraft for a Visual Approach the pilot must either report the field in sight, an aircraft in sight that is going to that field, or a landmark indicated on a Charted Visual Approach Procedure (CVAP)
2. When utilizing Visual Approaches to parallel runways, the aircraft must be vectored to to intercept the extended runway centerline at an angle of less than 30 degrees for fixed winged aircraft, and 45 degrees for helicopters.
3. Visual Approaches can not be applied when the visibility is less then 3 miles and the ceiling is less then 500 feet above the MVA (Minimum Vectoring Altitude), or the MIA (Minimum Instrument Altitude)
4. When instructing an aircraft to follow a B757/HEAVY aircraft, you must inform the pilot of the aircraft manufacturer and model.
Procedure
When issuing visual approaches you will utilize the following steps.
- Vector the aircraft to the point where they can see the field (or an aircraft going to that field), or a charted landmark on a Charted Visual Approach Procedure (CVAP)
- Issue the traffic advisory to point out the aircraft (if they are following another aircraft). If they are reporting the field in sight, then point out the field.
- Once they have reported the field/aircraft/CVAP Point in sight, clear them for the visual approach.
Example 1:
"American 113, Columbus Approach. Expect vectors visual approach 10R."
"Visual 10R, American 113"
"American 113, The airport is at your 12 o' clock, 10 miles, report in sight."
"We have the field, American 113"
"American 113, Cleared Visual Approach 10R"
Example 2:
"American 113, Columbus Approach. Expect vectors visual approach 10R."
"Visual 10R, American 113"
"American 113, Traffic 1 o' clock, five miles, on final runway 10R, a Boeing 767 at 3,000. Report in sight. "
"We have the traffic in sight, American 113"
"American 113, Follow the traffic, caution wake turbulence, cleared visual approach 10R"
Example 3:
"American 113, Kennedy Approach. Expect vectors Parkway Visual 13L approach."
"Parkway Visual 13L, American 113"
"American 113, The Breezy Point Residential Area is at your 12 o' clock, 10 miles, report in sight."
"We have it in sight, American 113"
"American 113, Cleared Parkway Visual approach 13L"
Visual Approaches into Uncontrolled Fields
Whenever vectoring an aircraft to an uncontrolled field, you do not include the runway into the approach clearance. You simply state the airport name. At an uncontrolled field, the pilot will select the runway to land on when he switches to the advisory frequency.
Airspace Management Tip
When you clear an aircraft for the visual approach, you are authorizing them to do whatever they need to do to get to the airport from that point. A tip to help "cement" them to a particular place in the sky is to vector them to join a localizer before having them report the field in sight. In most airline SOP's they are required to have the localizer tuned in, if its available, so you're probably not utilizing a procedure that the pilot isn't expecting.
Even though you vector them to join the localizer you still need to have them report the field/other traffic in sight before clearing them for the approach. Your phraseology would be something along the lines of "TURN (left/right) (heading). JOIN THE RUNWAY (runway) LOCALIZER"
Remember as stated in the beginning of this lesson, when parallel approaches are in use, you must vector the aircraft to intercept the final approach course at no greater than 30 degrees, so whenever multiple runways are in use it's a good idea to utilize this technique.
