{"id":243346,"date":"2026-04-07T08:49:25","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T06:49:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/?p=243346"},"modified":"2026-09-04T09:39:31","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T07:39:31","slug":"the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\/","title":{"rendered":"The Circling Approach: Aviation&#8217;s Most Misunderstood Killer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\n\n<style>\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid #0F1720;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;font-family:inherit;font-size:14px;font-weight:700;line-height:1;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;transition:background .15s,color .15s}\n.mfsh-trigger:hover,.mfsh-trigger:focus-visible{background:#0F1720;color:#fff;outline:none}\n.mfsh-trigger svg{width:18px;height:18px;display:block;flex-shrink:0}\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-bottom{margin:8px 0 28px}\n.mfsh-meta{position:relative;padding-right:190px}\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-inmeta{position:absolute;right:0;bottom:0;margin:0;height:30px;padding:0 8.9px;font-size:13px}\n.mfsh-trigger.mfsh-inmeta svg{width:16px;height:16px}\n.mfsh-overlay{position:fixed;inset:0;background:rgba(15,23,32,.55);z-index:99999;display:flex;align-items:flex-end;justify-content:center;opacity:0;pointer-events:none;transition:opacity .2s}\n.mfsh-overlay.mfsh-open{opacity:1;pointer-events:auto}\n.mfsh-sheet{width:100%;max-width:520px;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;padding:18px 20px 28px;transform:translateY(24px);transition:transform .22s;box-shadow:0 12px 32px rgba(15,23,32,.25);font-family:inherit;max-height:92vh;overflow:auto;-webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch}\n.mfsh-overlay.mfsh-open .mfsh-sheet{transform:none}\n@media (min-width:640px){.mfsh-overlay{align-items:center}.mfsh-sheet{padding-bottom:20px}}\n.mfsh-head{display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:space-between;margin:0 0 14px}\n.mfsh-head strong{font-size:18px;font-weight:800;display:flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;line-height:1}\n.mfsh-head strong svg{width:18px;height:18px}\n.mfsh-close{background:none;border:0;padding:6px;margin:0;cursor:pointer;color:#0F1720;line-height:0;box-shadow:none}\n.mfsh-close svg{width:18px;height:18px}\n.mfsh-preview{display:grid;grid-template-columns:96px 1fr;gap:12px;border:1px solid #DCE3EE;background:#F5F7FB;padding:10px;margin:0 0 12px;align-items:center}\n.mfsh-preview img{width:96px;height:72px;object-fit:cover;display:block;margin:0}\n.mfsh-preview .mfsh-kicker{font-size:10px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.14em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#5C91FF;margin:0 0 4px;line-height:1.2}\n.mfsh-preview .mfsh-title{font-size:14px;line-height:1.3;font-weight:700;margin:0;display:block}\n.mfsh-list{display:grid;margin:0;padding:0}\n.mfsh-item{display:flex;align-items:center;gap:14px;height:50px;width:100%;border:0;border-top:1px solid #DCE3EE;background:none;padding:0 4px;margin:0;text-align:left;font-family:inherit;font-size:15px;font-weight:600;color:#0F1720;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;line-height:1}\n.mfsh-item:hover,.mfsh-item:focus-visible{background:#F5F7FB;outline:none}\n.mfsh-item svg{width:20px;height:20px;color:#5C91FF;flex-shrink:0;display:block}\n.mfsh-item small{margin-left:auto;color:#5B6674;font-weight:500;font-size:12px}\n.mfsh-item.mfsh-done svg{color:#1E9E5A}\n.mfsh-toast{position:fixed;left:50%;bottom:32px;transform:translate(-50%,10px);background:#0F1720;color:#fff;padding:10px 16px;font-weight:700;font-size:13px;font-family:inherit;opacity:0;pointer-events:none;transition:opacity .2s,transform .2s;z-index:100000}\n.mfsh-toast.mfsh-show{opacity:1;transform:translate(-50%,0)}\n@media (prefers-reduced-motion:reduce){.mfsh-overlay,.mfsh-sheet,.mfsh-toast,.mfsh-trigger{transition:none}}\n<\/style>\n<svg width=\"0\" height=\"0\" style=\"position:absolute\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-share\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.9\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"M12 3v12M8 7l4-4 4 4M5 12v8h14v-8\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-close\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"m5 5 14 14M19 5 5 19\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-wa\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M12 2a10 10 0 0 0-8.6 15.1L2 22l5.1-1.3A10 10 0 1 0 12 2Zm0 1.8a8.2 8.2 0 1 1-4.2 15.3l-.3-.2-3 .8.8-2.9-.2-.3A8.2 8.2 0 0 1 12 3.8Zm-3 4.4c-.2 0-.5 0-.8.4-.3.3-1 1-1 2.4s1 2.8 1.2 3c.1.2 2 3.2 5 4.4 2.5 1 3 .8 3.5.7.5 0 1.7-.7 2-1.4.2-.7.2-1.3.1-1.4l-.5-.3-2-1c-.3 0-.5-.1-.7.2l-.9 1.1c-.2.2-.3.2-.6.1-.3-.2-1.3-.5-2.4-1.5-.9-.8-1.5-1.8-1.7-2-.2-.4 0-.5.2-.7l.4-.5.3-.5v-.5l-.9-2.2c-.2-.5-.4-.5-.6-.5H9Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-x\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M17.8 3h3l-6.7 7.7L22 21h-6.2l-4.8-6.3L5.4 21h-3l7.2-8.2L2 3h6.3l4.4 5.8L17.8 3Zm-1.1 16.2h1.7L7.4 4.7H5.6l11.1 14.5Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-fb\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M13.5 22v-8h2.7l.4-3.2h-3.1V8.8c0-.9.3-1.6 1.6-1.6h1.7V4.4c-.3 0-1.3-.1-2.5-.1-2.5 0-4.1 1.5-4.1 4.2v2.3H7.4V14h2.8v8h3.3Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-li\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M6.5 8.5H3V21h3.5V8.5ZM4.8 3a2 2 0 1 0 0 4 2 2 0 0 0 0-4ZM21 13.4c0-3.4-1.8-5.2-4.5-5.2-1.6 0-2.7.8-3.2 1.7V8.5H9.9V21h3.4v-6.4c0-1.7.6-2.8 2.1-2.8 1.4 0 2 1 2 2.8V21H21v-7.6Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-rd\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M22 12.1a2.4 2.4 0 0 0-4.1-1.7 11.7 11.7 0 0 0-5.5-1.7l1-4.5 3.1.7a1.7 1.7 0 1 0 .2-1l-3.6-.8a.5.5 0 0 0-.6.4l-1.1 5.2a11.8 11.8 0 0 0-5.8 1.7A2.4 2.4 0 1 0 3 14.3v.5c0 3.4 4 6.2 9 6.2s9-2.8 9-6.2v-.5a2.4 2.4 0 0 0 1-2.2ZM7.5 13.8a1.7 1.7 0 1 1 3.4 0 1.7 1.7 0 0 1-3.4 0Zm8.9 4.5c-1.2 1.2-3.4 1.3-4.4 1.3s-3.3-.1-4.4-1.3a.5.5 0 0 1 .7-.7c.7.8 2.4 1 3.7 1s2.9-.2 3.7-1a.5.5 0 0 1 .7.7Zm-.6-2.8a1.7 1.7 0 1 1 0-3.4 1.7 1.7 0 0 1 0 3.4Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-tg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M21.9 4.6 18.7 19.9c-.2 1-.9 1.3-1.7.8l-4.9-3.6-2.3 2.3c-.3.3-.5.5-1 .5l.4-5 9-8.2c.4-.3-.1-.5-.6-.2L6.4 13.5 1.6 12c-1-.3-1.1-1 .2-1.5l18.8-7.2c.9-.3 1.6.2 1.3 1.3Z\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-mail\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" d=\"M3 6h18v12H3z\"\/><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.8\" d=\"m3 7 9 6 9-6\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-link\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.9\" stroke-linecap=\"square\" d=\"M10 14a4 4 0 0 0 5.7 0l3-3a4 4 0 0 0-5.7-5.7l-1.5 1.5M14 10a4 4 0 0 0-5.7 0l-3 3a4 4 0 0 0 5.7 5.7l1.5-1.5\"\/><\/symbol>\n  <symbol id=\"mfsh-i-more\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><circle cx=\"5\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><circle cx=\"12\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><circle cx=\"19\" cy=\"12\" r=\"2\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><\/symbol>\n<\/svg>\n<span class=\"mfsh-top-slot\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger\" data-mfsh-placement=\"top\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button><\/span>\n<script>\n(function(){\n  if (window.__mfsh) return; window.__mfsh = true;\n  var SECTION = 'afterburner';\n  function meta(p){ var m=document.querySelector('meta[property=\"'+p+'\"]'); return m ? m.getAttribute('content') : ''; }\n  function pageUrl(){ var c=document.querySelector('link[rel=\"canonical\"]'); return (c && c.href) || (location.origin + location.pathname); }\n  function pageTitle(){ var h=document.querySelector('h1.entry-title'); return (h && h.textContent.trim()) || meta('og:title') || document.title; }\n  function slug(){ return location.pathname.replace(\/\\\/+$\/,'').split('\/').pop() || 'home'; }\n  function kicker(){ var c=document.querySelector('.et_pb_title_container a[rel=\"category tag\"], .et_pb_title_container a[rel=\"category\"], a[rel=\"category tag\"]'); return 'Afterburner' + (c && c.textContent.trim() ? ' \u00b7 ' + c.textContent.trim() : ''); }\n  function shareUrl(ch, placement){ return pageUrl() + '?utm_source=share&utm_medium=' + ch + '&utm_campaign=' + SECTION + '&utm_content=sheet_' + placement; }\n  function track(ch, placement, extra){\n    window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];\n    var ev = { event:'share', share_channel:ch, share_variant:'sheet', share_placement:placement, page_section:SECTION, content_id:slug() };\n    if (extra) for (var k in extra) ev[k]=extra[k];\n    window.dataLayer.push(ev);\n  }\n  var CH = [\n    ['whatsapp','WhatsApp','mfsh-i-wa',''],\n    ['x','X','mfsh-i-x',''],\n    ['facebook','Facebook','mfsh-i-fb',''],\n    ['linkedin','LinkedIn','mfsh-i-li',''],\n    ['reddit','Reddit','mfsh-i-rd','r\/aviation, r\/WarplanePorn'],\n    ['telegram','Telegram','mfsh-i-tg',''],\n    ['email','Email','mfsh-i-mail',''],\n    ['copy','Copy link','mfsh-i-link',''],\n    ['native','More','mfsh-i-more','Instagram, Signal, AirDrop']\n  ];\n  var overlay, toastEl, toastT, placement = 'top';\n  function build(){\n    overlay = document.createElement('div'); overlay.className = 'mfsh-overlay'; overlay.setAttribute('role','dialog'); overlay.setAttribute('aria-modal','true'); overlay.setAttribute('aria-label','Share');\n    var img = meta('og:image');\n    var items = CH.filter(function(c){ return c[0] !== 'native' || !!navigator.share; }).map(function(c){\n      return '<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-item\" data-mfsh-ch=\"'+c[0]+'\"><svg><use href=\"#'+c[2]+'\"\/><\/svg>'+c[1]+(c[3]?'<small>'+c[3]+'<\/small>':'')+'<\/button>';\n    }).join('');\n    overlay.innerHTML = '<div class=\"mfsh-sheet\"><div class=\"mfsh-head\"><strong><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share<\/strong><button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-close\" aria-label=\"Close\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-close\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>'\n      + '<div class=\"mfsh-preview\">' + (img ? '<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"'+img+'\" alt=\"\">' : '<span><\/span>') + '<div><div class=\"mfsh-kicker\">'+kicker()+'<\/div><span class=\"mfsh-title\">'+pageTitle()+'<\/span><\/div><\/div>'\n      + '<div class=\"mfsh-list\">'+items+'<\/div><\/div>';\n    document.body.appendChild(overlay);\n    toastEl = document.createElement('div'); toastEl.className = 'mfsh-toast'; document.body.appendChild(toastEl);\n    overlay.addEventListener('click', function(e){\n      if (e.target === overlay || e.target.closest('.mfsh-close')) { close(); return; }\n      var b = e.target.closest('.mfsh-item'); if (b) act(b.getAttribute('data-mfsh-ch'), b);\n    });\n    document.addEventListener('keydown', function(e){ if (e.key === 'Escape') close(); });\n  }\n  function open(p){ placement = p || 'top'; if (!overlay) build(); overlay.classList.add('mfsh-open'); track('open', placement); }\n  function close(){ if (overlay) overlay.classList.remove('mfsh-open'); }\n  function toast(m){ toastEl.textContent = m; toastEl.classList.add('mfsh-show'); clearTimeout(toastT); toastT = setTimeout(function(){ toastEl.classList.remove('mfsh-show'); }, 1600); }\n  function act(ch, btn){\n    var url = shareUrl(ch, placement), t = pageTitle(), enc = encodeURIComponent;\n    if (ch === 'copy') {\n      var done = function(){ toast('Link copied'); btn.classList.add('mfsh-done'); setTimeout(function(){ btn.classList.remove('mfsh-done'); close(); }, 900); };\n      track(ch, placement);\n      if (navigator.clipboard && navigator.clipboard.writeText) navigator.clipboard.writeText(url).then(done, done); else done();\n      return;\n    }\n    if (ch === 'native') {\n      track(ch, placement, { share_result:'opened' });\n      navigator.share({ title:t, text:t, url:url }).then(function(){ track('native', placement, { share_result:'completed' }); close(); }).catch(function(){});\n      return;\n    }\n    var target = {\n      whatsapp: 'https:\/\/api.whatsapp.com\/send?text=' + enc(t + ' ' + url),\n      x:        'https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=' + enc(t) + '&url=' + enc(url) + '&via=MiGFlug',\n      facebook: 'https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=' + enc(url),\n      linkedin: 'https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/sharing\/share-offsite\/?url=' + enc(url),\n      reddit:   'https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=' + enc(url) + '&title=' + enc(t),\n      telegram: 'https:\/\/t.me\/share\/url?url=' + enc(url) + '&text=' + enc(t),\n      email:    'mailto:?subject=' + enc(t) + '&body=' + enc('Thought you would like this, from Afterburner, MiGFlug\\'s magazine:\\n' + t + '\\n' + url)\n    }[ch];\n    track(ch, placement);\n    if (target) { if (ch === 'email') location.href = target; else window.open(target, '_blank', 'noopener,width=680,height=560'); }\n    close();\n  }\n  var mq = window.matchMedia('(min-width:981px)');\n  function place(){\n    var t = document.querySelector('.mfsh-trigger[data-mfsh-placement=\"top\"]'), slot = document.querySelector('.mfsh-top-slot');\n    var meta = [].slice.call(document.querySelectorAll('.et_pb_title_meta_container, .et_post_meta_wrapper .post-meta, .single .post-meta')).filter(function(m){ return m.offsetParent !== null; })[0];\n    if (!t || !slot) return;\n    if (meta && mq.matches) { meta.classList.add('mfsh-meta'); t.classList.add('mfsh-inmeta'); if (t.parentNode !== meta) meta.appendChild(t); var a = meta.querySelector('a'); if (a) { var pr = document.createElement('span'); pr.style.cssText = 'display:inline-block;width:0;height:0;vertical-align:baseline'; a.appendChild(pr); var base = pr.getBoundingClientRect().bottom; pr.remove(); var fs = parseFloat(getComputedStyle(a).fontSize) || 14, mb = meta.getBoundingClientRect().bottom; t.style.bottom = Math.max(0, mb - (base + fs * 0.12)) + 'px'; } }\n    else { t.classList.remove('mfsh-inmeta'); if (t.parentNode !== slot) slot.appendChild(t); }\n  }\n  if (document.readyState === 'loading') document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', place); else place(); window.addEventListener('load', place); if (document.fonts && document.fonts.ready) document.fonts.ready.then(place); window.addEventListener('resize', place);\n  if (mq.addEventListener) mq.addEventListener('change', place); else mq.addListener(place);\n  document.addEventListener('click', function(e){ var b = e.target.closest('.mfsh-trigger'); if (b) { e.preventDefault(); open(b.getAttribute('data-mfsh-placement') || 'top'); } });\n})();\n<\/script><!-- \/mfsh:top -->\n\n\n\n\n<div style=\"background:#f0f4f8;border-left:4px solid #1a3a5c;padding:18px 22px;margin-bottom:28px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0;font-size:15px;line-height:1.7\">\n<strong style=\"font-size:17px;display:block;margin-bottom:8px\">Quick Facts<\/strong>\n<strong>What It Is<\/strong> An instrument approach followed by a visual manoeuvre to land on a different runway than the one aligned with the approach<br>\n<strong>Why It Exists<\/strong> Many airports have instrument approaches to only one runway \u2014 when wind favours the opposite direction, pilots must circle to land<br>\n<strong>Minimum Visibility<\/strong> Typically 1\u20133 miles depending on aircraft category and airport<br>\n<strong>Minimum Altitude<\/strong> Circling MDAs range from 350 to 1,000+ feet above airport elevation<br>\n<strong>Risk Factor<\/strong> Disproportionately represented in approach-and-landing fatalities \u2014 CFIT (controlled flight into terrain) is the primary killer<br>\n<strong>Key Challenge<\/strong> Maintaining visual contact with the runway while flying a tight pattern at low altitude in marginal visibility\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/4\/4c\/Circling_approaches.png\/960px-Circling_approaches.png\" alt=\"Circling approach diagram showing different manoeuvre patterns\" style=\"display:block;width:100%!important;max-width:100%!important;height:auto!important;border-radius:6px\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Circling approach patterns \u2014 the pilot must keep the runway in sight while flying a tight visual circuit at low altitude. Lose sight, and you must go missed immediately. (Wikimedia Commons)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You break out of the clouds at 800 feet, the runway is off your left shoulder, and now you have to fly a visual pattern to land on it \u2014 at minimum altitude, in marginal visibility, with terrain you may not be able to see on three sides. Welcome to the circling approach, the manoeuvre that has been quietly killing instrument pilots for decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Circling approaches are a staple of instrument flying. They exist because many airports have instrument approaches aligned with only one runway direction. When the wind favours the opposite direction, pilots fly the published approach to get below the clouds, then break off to circle visually and land the other way. In concept, it is straightforward. In practice, it is one of the most demanding manoeuvres in general aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The accident statistics are stark. Circling approaches are flown on a small fraction of instrument flights, yet they account for a wildly disproportionate share of approach-and-landing fatalities. The common thread is almost always the same: a pilot descends below circling minimums, loses sight of the runway, and flies into terrain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why Circling Kills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The fundamental problem is geometry. A straight-in instrument approach is a controlled, stabilised descent to a runway you can see well before landing. A circling approach adds a visual manoeuvre at the worst possible moment \u2014 low, slow, close to terrain, with the runway moving from in front of you to beside you to behind you as you circle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maintaining visual contact with the runway environment throughout this manoeuvre is mandatory. Lose sight of it, and you are required to execute an immediate missed approach \u2014 climbing away on the published missed approach procedure. But at 800 feet above the ground, in rain or haze, with the runway disappearing behind a wing, the temptation to press on is enormous. That temptation kills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Controlled flight into terrain \u2014 CFIT \u2014 is the primary cause of circling approach fatalities. The pilot is flying a functioning aircraft into the ground, usually because they descended below minimums, lost situational awareness of their position relative to terrain, or misjudged the visual segment of the approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/1\/17\/Circling_Approach_Area_with_Varying_Radii.png\/960px-Circling_Approach_Area_with_Varying_Radii.png\" alt=\"Circling approach protected area diagram\" style=\"display:block;width:100%!important;max-width:100%!important;height:auto!important;border-radius:6px\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">The protected area for circling approaches varies by aircraft category \u2014 but terrain outside these boundaries can be dangerously close. Pilots who drift outside the protected area may find themselves with no margin. (Wikimedia Commons)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"padding-top:22px\">What Most Training Gets Wrong<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ask most instrument-rated pilots when they last practised a circling approach in actual IMC, and the answer is rarely encouraging. The manoeuvre is tested on the instrument checkride \u2014 typically in visual conditions with a view-limiting device \u2014 and then largely forgotten. Real-world circling approaches in genuine marginal visibility are rare enough that many pilots go years without flying one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That infrequency is itself a risk factor. When a pilot finally encounters a circling approach in actual conditions \u2014 low ceilings, reduced visibility, unfamiliar airport \u2014 they are executing a high-workload manoeuvre they may not have practised in months or years. The skills atrophy. The judgment calls get rusty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The best defence is aggressive minimums discipline. Know your circling MDA cold. Add a personal buffer. If the ceiling is within 100 feet of circling minimums, consider whether the approach is worth attempting at all. And commit, absolutely and irrevocably, to going missed the instant you lose sight of the runway environment. No second chances. No \"I'll find it in a second.\" Climb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"padding-top:22px\">Respect the Circle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The circling approach is not inherently dangerous. Airline crews fly them routinely, with strict procedures, crew coordination, and corporate minimums that add healthy margins above the published numbers. The accidents cluster in single-pilot general aviation, where workload is highest, margins are thinnest, and the decision to press on rests on one person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If there is one manoeuvre in instrument flying that deserves more respect, more practice, and more conservative personal minimums than it typically gets, it is the circling approach. The pilots who have been surprised by one \u2014 caught low, tight, and suddenly unable to see the runway \u2014 will tell you the same thing: it happens fast, and it is terrifying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ones who did not go missed in time are not around to tell you anything at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Sources: Boldmethod, FAA Instrument Procedures Handbook, Aviation Safety Magazine<\/em><\/p>\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\n\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\n\n\n\n<!-- mf-faq -->\n\n<div class=\"mf-faq-block\"><style>.mf-faq-block{margin:34px 0}.mf-faq-item:not([open]) .mf-faq-answer{display:none !important}.mf-faq-block h2.mf-faq-h{padding-top:22px;margin-bottom:14px}.mf-faq-item{border:1px solid #e2e8f5;border-radius:8px;margin:0 0 10px;background:#fff}.mf-faq-item summary{list-style:none;cursor:pointer;padding:15px 50px 15px 18px;font-weight:600;color:#1a1a1a;position:relative;line-height:1.45;user-select:none}.mf-faq-item summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mf-faq-item summary::after{content:\"+\";position:absolute;right:18px;top:50%;transform:translateY(-50%);font-size:1.5em;font-weight:400;color:#5C91FF;line-height:1}.mf-faq-item[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mf-faq-item[open] summary{border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f8}.mf-faq-item summary:hover{background:#f5f8ff}.mf-faq-answer{padding:14px 18px;color:#333;line-height:1.6}.mf-faq-answer p{margin:0}.mf-faq-answer a{color:#5C91FF}<\/style><h2 class=\"mf-faq-h\">Related Questions<\/h2><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>What is a circling approach?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>A circling approach is an instrument approach followed by a visual manoeuvre to land on a different runway than the one the approach is aligned with. Pilots fly the instrument procedure to get below the clouds, then circle visually to line up with the landing runway \u2014 a demanding combination of instrument and visual flying at low altitude.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>Why are circling approaches necessary?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Many airports have an instrument approach to only one runway. When the wind favours the opposite direction, pilots must fly that single approach and then circle to land into the wind on another runway. The circling manoeuvre bridges the gap between where the instrument approach points and where the aircraft actually needs to touch down.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>Why is the circling approach so dangerous?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Circling approaches are disproportionately represented in approach-and-landing fatalities, with controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) the primary killer. The challenge is keeping the runway in sight while flying a tight pattern at low altitude in marginal visibility. Lose sight of the runway, and the pilot must immediately go missed. It demands sharp <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-difference-between-ifr-and-vfr-and-why-it-matters\/\">instrument and visual flying<\/a>.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>What are the minimums for a circling approach?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Circling approaches require minimum visibility of roughly 1\u20133 miles, depending on the aircraft's category and the airport. Circling minimum descent altitudes (MDAs) range from about 350 to over 1,000 feet above airport elevation. These limits exist to keep the aircraft high enough to stay clear of obstacles while manoeuvring visually.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>What happens if a pilot loses sight of the runway during a circling approach?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>If the pilot loses visual contact with the runway, they must immediately execute a missed approach and climb away to try again or divert. Continuing without the runway in sight at low altitude is how circling approaches turn deadly \u2014 a risk on par with other high-stakes landings like <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/night-carrier-landings-most-dangerous-routine-aviation\/\">night carrier landings<\/a>.<\/p><\/div><\/details><\/div>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is a circling approach?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"A circling approach is an instrument approach followed by a visual manoeuvre to land on a different runway than the one the approach is aligned with. Pilots fly the instrument procedure to get below the clouds, then circle visually to line up with the landing runway \u2014 a demanding combination of instrument and visual flying at low altitude.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why are circling approaches necessary?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Many airports have an instrument approach to only one runway. When the wind favours the opposite direction, pilots must fly that single approach and then circle to land into the wind on another runway. The circling manoeuvre bridges the gap between where the instrument approach points and where the aircraft actually needs to touch down.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why is the circling approach so dangerous?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Circling approaches are disproportionately represented in approach-and-landing fatalities, with controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) the primary killer. The challenge is keeping the runway in sight while flying a tight pattern at low altitude in marginal visibility. Lose sight of the runway, and the pilot must immediately go missed. It demands sharp <a href=\\\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-difference-between-ifr-and-vfr-and-why-it-matters\/\\\">instrument and visual flying<\/a>.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What are the minimums for a circling approach?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Circling approaches require minimum visibility of roughly 1\u20133 miles, depending on the aircraft's category and the airport. Circling minimum descent altitudes (MDAs) range from about 350 to over 1,000 feet above airport elevation. These limits exist to keep the aircraft high enough to stay clear of obstacles while manoeuvring visually.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What happens if a pilot loses sight of the runway during a circling approach?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"If the pilot loses visual contact with the runway, they must immediately execute a missed approach and climb away to try again or divert. Continuing without the runway in sight at low altitude is how circling approaches turn deadly \u2014 a risk on par with other high-stakes landings like <a href=\\\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/night-carrier-landings-most-dangerous-routine-aviation\/\\\">night carrier landings<\/a>.\"}}]}<\/script><!-- \/mf-faq -->\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Share this story Quick Facts What It Is An instrument approach followed by a visual manoeuvre to land on a different runway than the one aligned with the approach Why It Exists Many airports have instrument approaches to only one runway \u2014 when wind favours the opposite direction, pilots must circle to land Minimum Visibility [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":243350,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[665],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-243346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aviation-world"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Circling Approach: Aviation&#039;s Most Misunderstood Killer | Afterburner - MiGFlug&#039;s Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Circling approach patterns \u2014 the pilot must keep the runway in sight while flying a tight visual circuit at low altitude.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Circling Approach: Aviation&#039;s Most Misunderstood Killer | Afterburner - MiGFlug&#039;s Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Circling approach patterns \u2014 the pilot must keep the runway in sight while flying a tight visual circuit at low altitude.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Afterburner - MiGFlug&#039;s Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-07T06:49:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-09-04T07:39:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/circling-approach-killer.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"620\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"MiGFlug Team\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@migflug\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@migflug\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"MiGFlug Team\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"MiGFlug Team\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c1785569b9447ee5ae5ce4290fae5891\"},\"headline\":\"The Circling Approach: Aviation&#8217;s Most Misunderstood Killer\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-07T06:49:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-04T07:39:31+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1152,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/circling-approach-killer.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Aviation World\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Circling Approach: Aviation's Most Misunderstood Killer | Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/circling-approach-killer.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-07T06:49:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-04T07:39:31+00:00\",\"description\":\"Circling approach patterns \u2014 the pilot must keep the runway in sight while flying a tight visual circuit at low altitude.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/circling-approach-killer.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/circling-approach-killer.png\",\"width\":620,\"height\":920,\"caption\":\"Circling approach diagram\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Startseite\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Circling Approach: Aviation&#8217;s Most Misunderstood Killer\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\",\"name\":\"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine\",\"description\":\"for those interested in flying military jets and aviation related  topics\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"MiGFlug GmbH\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\\\/cb:0e0_.b970\\\/w:897\\\/h:278\\\/q:mauto\\\/ig:avif\\\/https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\\\/cb:0e0_.b970\\\/w:897\\\/h:278\\\/q:mauto\\\/ig:avif\\\/https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png\",\"width\":897,\"height\":278,\"caption\":\"MiGFlug GmbH\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/MiGFlug\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/migflug\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/migflug\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/MiGFlug\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/migflug.com\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.ch\\\/migflug\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/it\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c1785569b9447ee5ae5ce4290fae5891\",\"name\":\"MiGFlug Team\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/4a837c13dd5befdb3bffd441395bd29144e82ec9cb4d40a2d01d07d6a1d169b2?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/4a837c13dd5befdb3bffd441395bd29144e82ec9cb4d40a2d01d07d6a1d169b2?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/4a837c13dd5befdb3bffd441395bd29144e82ec9cb4d40a2d01d07d6a1d169b2?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"MiGFlug Team\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/migflug.com\\\/afterburner\\\/author\\\/mike4mig\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Circling Approach: Aviation's Most Misunderstood Killer | Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine","description":"Circling approach patterns \u2014 the pilot must keep the runway in sight while flying a tight visual circuit at low altitude.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Circling Approach: Aviation's Most Misunderstood Killer | Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine","og_description":"Circling approach patterns \u2014 the pilot must keep the runway in sight while flying a tight visual circuit at low altitude.","og_url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\/","og_site_name":"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/","article_published_time":"2026-04-07T06:49:25+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-09-04T07:39:31+00:00","og_image":[{"width":620,"height":920,"url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/circling-approach-killer.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"MiGFlug Team","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@migflug","twitter_site":"@migflug","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"MiGFlug Team","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\/"},"author":{"name":"MiGFlug Team","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/person\/c1785569b9447ee5ae5ce4290fae5891"},"headline":"The Circling Approach: Aviation&#8217;s Most Misunderstood Killer","datePublished":"2026-04-07T06:49:25+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-04T07:39:31+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\/"},"wordCount":1152,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/circling-approach-killer.png","articleSection":["Aviation World"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\/","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\/","name":"The Circling Approach: Aviation's Most Misunderstood Killer | Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/circling-approach-killer.png","datePublished":"2026-04-07T06:49:25+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-04T07:39:31+00:00","description":"Circling approach patterns \u2014 the pilot must keep the runway in sight while flying a tight visual circuit at low altitude.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/circling-approach-killer.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/circling-approach-killer.png","width":620,"height":920,"caption":"Circling approach diagram"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/the-circling-approach-aviations-most-misunderstood-killer\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Startseite","item":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Circling Approach: Aviation&#8217;s Most Misunderstood Killer"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#website","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/","name":"Afterburner - MiGFlug's Magazine","description":"for those interested in flying military jets and aviation related  topics","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#organization","name":"MiGFlug GmbH","url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:897\/h:278\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:897\/h:278\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/06\/MIGFLUG_LOGO-no-background.png","width":897,"height":278,"caption":"MiGFlug GmbH"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MiGFlug\/","https:\/\/x.com\/migflug","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/migflug\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/MiGFlug","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/migflug.com\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.ch\/migflug\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/it\/#\/schema\/person\/c1785569b9447ee5ae5ce4290fae5891","name":"MiGFlug Team","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4a837c13dd5befdb3bffd441395bd29144e82ec9cb4d40a2d01d07d6a1d169b2?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4a837c13dd5befdb3bffd441395bd29144e82ec9cb4d40a2d01d07d6a1d169b2?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4a837c13dd5befdb3bffd441395bd29144e82ec9cb4d40a2d01d07d6a1d169b2?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"MiGFlug Team"},"url":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/author\/mike4mig\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243346","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=243346"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243346\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20014166,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243346\/revisions\/20014166"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/243350"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=243346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=243346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=243346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}