Circling Approach Simulator
Circling geometry with aircraft, runways, approach categories, manoeuvring areas and visibility; charted versus simplified.
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You arrive on the final to RWY 36 at the circling MDA and have to land on another runway. The cyan outline is the charted part: the circling approach area of your approach category — arcs of the circling radius around every runway end joined by tangents. Obstacle clearance at the MDA is provided only inside it. The amber dashed line is the simplified part: a pattern flown at your speed and bank — downwind (or a base entry) two turn radii from the runway, a 180° turn and a short final — joined from the final course by the shortest flyable turn.
Press Fly the circle. The aircraft breaks off the final once a runway is in sight inside the area, flies the pattern at the MDA, starts a normal 3° descent along the rest of the pattern and lands. The dashed circle around it is the flight visibility: if the runway leaves that circle while circling, you must execute the missed approach at once — the simulation shows the AIM technique, a climbing turn toward the landing runway, then the missed approach course.
Try a faster category, the historical (smaller) radii, a lower visibility or a strong wind, and watch the pattern leave the area or the runway go out of sight. Then Practice: fly it yourself with the heading buttons or the arrow keys, stay inside the area with the runway in sight, press Begin descent when lined up — or Missed approach when you lose it.
Assumption: schematic airport and procedure — never a real procedure, never for navigation. The demonstration flies its planned path exactly (the heading carries the wind correction); the practice flight turns at the set bank and drifts with the wind. The planned turns are 15 % wider than the tightest turn at the set bank; the break-off point is chosen as the first point on the final, at least 0.3 NM inside the area with a runway in sight, from which the pattern stays inside (a model of the pilot's choice). The runway in sight stands for an identifiable part of the airport; true airspeed from the TERPS formula at the circling MDA; altitudes held exactly; scoring is a platform training convention.
Circling area (charted): Order 8260.3G 2-7-1 a (3) — arcs equal to the circling radius from the threshold of each runway to which circling is authorized, the outermost arcs joined by tangent lines; AIM 5-4-20 b 1 — areas developed after late 2012 use the TPP table radius by category and circling MDA (MSL), earlier ones the standard radii (A 1.3, B 1.5, C 1.7, D 2.3 NM); the current TPP legend (cycle 2610) says every circling area in the volume has been evaluated for the table radius. Computed here as every point within the radius of the convex hull of the runway ends — the same area as the Approach Category Calculator's (same table, identical results checked). Schematic circling minimums: the Approach Category Calculator's (HAA A 480, B 540, C 580, D 660 ft; visibility 1, 1, 1½, 2 SM; all above the 8260.3G table 3-2-1 minimum HAA).
Pattern (simplified): true airspeed from the indicated airspeed at the circling MDA with 8260.3G formula 2-7-1; turn radius V² ÷ (g tan bank) and rate (the platform's turn calculations, the same as the Turn Radius & Bank Angle tool); downwind two planned turn radii from the centre line, a 180° turn, then the 8260.3G table 2-7-1 straight segment (A and B 0.4, C 0.5, D 0.6 NM) as the final; the join from the final course is the shortest turn-straight-turn path at the planned radius. Normal descent: 3° (318 ft per NM) to 50 ft over the threshold. Missed approach climb: 200 ft per NM (AIM 5-4-21 b).
Rules shown: remain at or above the circling altitude until in a position for a normal descent to the runway (AIM 5-4-20 f); remain within the circling radius (f 4); 14 CFR 91.175 (e) (2) — execute a missed approach immediately whenever an identifiable part of the airport is not distinctly visible during a circling manoeuvre at or above the MDA (unless only because of a normal bank); AIM 5-4-21 c — if visual reference is lost while circling, make an initial climbing turn toward the landing runway and continue the turn until established on the missed approach course; obstacle clearance on the published missed approach is provided only from the MAP — climb inside the circling area before joining it (AIM 5-4-20 b 1, 5-4-21 h). Category speeds and bank from 8260.3G table 2-7-1 (90, 120, 140, 165 KIAS; 25, 25, 20, 20°) are the defaults; flying faster than the category's band calls for the higher category's minimums (AIM 5-4-7 b).
- Aeronautical Information Manual (effective 9 July 2026), 5-4-20 b 1 (circling approach protected areas: tangential connection of arcs from each runway end; standard and expanded radii; obstacle clearance at the MDA; additional climb inside the circling area before joining the missed approach), f (circling minimums and the basic guidance: remain within the circling radius, maneuver to a base or downwind leg), 5-4-21 b, c (initial climbing turn toward the landing runway when visual reference is lost while circling) and h
- 14 CFR 91.175 (c) and (e) (2) (eCFR current, read 2026-10-15): operation below the MDA; missed approach whenever an identifiable part of the airport is not distinctly visible during a circling maneuver at or above the MDA
- U.S. Terminal Procedures Publication front matter, cycle 2610 (1–29 Oct 2026): circling approach maneuvering airspace radius table by circling MDA and the note that every circling area in the volume has been evaluated for it
- FAA Order 8260.3G (1 July 2024), 2-7-1 (circling approach area construction, formulas 2-7-1 and 2-7-2, table 2-7-1 speeds, bank angles and straight segments) and table 3-2-1 (minimum circling HAA)
- FAA Instrument Procedures Handbook, FAA-H-8083-16B (2017), ch. 4 circling approaches; 14 CFR 97.3 and AIM 5-4-7 b (approach categories and the higher category's minimums)
- Cross-tool: the circling radii, the area construction and the schematic circling minimums are the Approach Category Calculator's, and the turn radius and rate the platform's turn calculations — identical results checked
- Model choices of this tool (stated on the page): schematic airport and procedure; the demonstration tracks its planned path exactly; planned turns 15 % wider than the tightest turn; a modelled break-off point; the runway stands for an identifiable part of the airport; true airspeed at the circling MDA; scoring is a platform training convention