Originally Posted by
Rustee
AIM 5-4-19 outlines the Side-Step Maneuver.
TRUE.
Originally Posted by
Rustee
Practically speaking, you would shoot the approach to the straight-in nonprecision minimums (the MDA) regardless of the approach (PA, APV or NPA) ...
FALSE.
A Side-Step Maneuver is flown to Side-Step Maneuver Minimums. Those landing minimums will be based on non-precision approach criteria, and therefore higher than the precision minimums, but they will normally be lower than published circling minimums. However, that does
not mean the Non-Precision Minimums for the Straight-In approach can be used as the Side-Step Maneuver Minimums.
Originally Posted by
Rustee
... and side-step whenever visual is made with the parallel runway.
TRUE. Pilots are expected to commence the side-step maneuver as soon as possible after the runway or runway environment is in sight.
Originally Posted by
Rustee
Very specifically, you do not use the circling minimums if the parallel runway is within 1200 ft.
FALSE.
The minimums you use does not depend on the distance between the runways. The minimums you use depends ONLY on the approach clearance you receive. If you are cleared for the LOC 23R, you use the non-precision straight-in minimums for the LOC 23R approach. If you are cleared the LOC 23R Side-step 23L, you use the non-precision Side-step minimums for LOC 23R. If you are cleared the LOC 23R Circle to land 23L, you use the circling minimums for LOC 23R.
To repeat, you use the minimums for the approach clearance you receive.
Originally Posted by
Rustee
(This illustrates the point of the side-step manuever, to take advantage of straight-in minimums to the parallel runway rather than the higher circling mins.)
FALSE.
The Side-step maneuver usually has minimums lower than the published circling minimums, but it does not use the straight-in minimums for the approach flown. The Side-step maneuver has Side-Step Maneuver Minimums (AIM 5-4-20.d.). The same maneuver without Side-Step Maneuver Minimums is called a "circle to land" and uses CIRCLING MINIMUMS.
Here's an example of an approach with Side-step minimums:
NEWARK LIBERTY INTL (EWR) ILS or LOC RWY 4R
Notice the minimums for "SIDESTEP RWY 4L". They are lower than the circling minimums, but higher than the S-LOC 4R minimums. The same is true for
NEWARK LIBERTY INTL (EWR) ILS or LOC RWY 4L SIDESTEP RWY 4R.
Look at
DFW and
LAX for examples of approaches where the Side-Step MDAs are significantly higher than the LOC MDAs, but no circling minima are published for the same approach.
Once again, for clarity, a Side-Step Maneuver uses Side-Step Maneuver Minimums. Without Side-Step Maneuver Minimums, there can be no Side-Step Maneuver.
.