rickair7777

Fly straight out until the tell tower tells you what to do. If you go lost comms, then you are justified in using common sense to chose a pattern...don't cross the upwind of other active runways. This is why we land outboard, launch inboard.

USMCFLYR

This is what I was wondering. It isn't like we are lost comms in this scenario. You're on a visual approach and are talking to the tower. You get some type of close in wave-off for whatever (a million reasons) and in my experience tower will be fairly directive in what they want you to do; but if not - continue to fly upwind and ask the tower. Good discussion though because to tell the truth if I was on a visual approach and ended up going missed for whatever reason I never would have considered flying the instrument missed approach procedures! Something else to think about now.

USMCFLYR

Iflywinnebagos

I have a similar question: You're flying into an uncontrolled field, on an IFR flight plan. The airport is VMC so you request the visual, but you stay on the IFR flight plan (i.e. you don't cancel and keep your squawk code). ATC tells you to switch to CTAF and cancel once you're safely on the ground. While on CTAF, you execute a go-around for whatever reason. As previously mentioned, I assume you will fly the pattern for another try but is it required to contact Center and advise them of your intentions (i.e. G/A, staying in pattern for another attempt)?

From a pilot's perspective, a visual approach would seem like you can do whatever you need to without telling Center because you're maintaining VMC. But from a controller's perspective, with traffic following in or just the fact that they're seeing something they're not used to seeing on their scope, would probably want to know what the pilot's intentions are?

What are your thoughts?

joepilot

Two comments, the first one pertaining to the original thread: If you have been cleared for a visual approach, flying a published missed may take you back into IMC, and you have no longer have a clearance for flight in IMC, only visual.

Reference the IFR visual clearance to the uncontrolled field, your primary concern is your visual pattern and landing while using CTAF for situational awareness and making advisory calls to other traffic. If single pilot I would not consider switching away from CTAF. With two pilots I would consider a call to the controller if convenient.

Joe

rickair7777

At an uncontrolled field you own the airspace while on an IFR flight plan until you cancel (or they locate the wreckage).

You can do a VFR traffic pattern, a circle-to-land maneuver, or a published missed at your discretion. You need to advise ATC about the missed because you will leave the airspace. You do not need to advise them of the circle or VFR pattern, although it would be nice to do so if someone else is waiting for you to cancel.

kronan

Cleared for the Visual is not clearance for the Missed approach.

And, if you read AIM 5-5-11 you'd be reminded that radar service is automatically terminated when you are directed to change frequencies on a visual approach. (as it also reminds you in 5-4-22h)

And, 5-4-22e is explicit that there is no MAP for a Visual approach. So, if you wind up going around, contact ATC asap for further clearance.

Barring additional info-pattern is normally flown w/left hand turns.
W/ parallel rwys, turn for a left/right pattern to avoid overflight of the other rwy

NoyGonnaDoIt

So? What does termination of radar services have to do with whether you fly a missed approach? Radar services are terminated explicitly in many situations on an approach when using a SIAP. The only thing that AIM quote is telling you is that ATC doesn't have to say the words "radar services terminated" for them to be terminated on a visual when you leave the frequency that is providing radar services (which seems pretty obvious anyway).

Termination of radar services does not mean cancellation of IFR.

Aside from that, let's try a scenario: You accept a visual approach in marginal conditions (why could be it's own thread but it's pretty much a given for this one). The airport is in the boonies, non-towered, well below radar coverage, and even below communications coverage.

Are you saying that the AIM is telling us to flounder around in the clouds until we make contact with a Center frequency rather than follow the missed approach for the runway we were going to land visually on?

I think rickair is exactly right on the options available.

250 or point 65

I've got a real problem with this. Granted, when a go-around is issued by tower, they almost always follow with an exiting instruction, "Dmbass 1234 go around, fly runway heading maintain 2300 ft, contact departure 123.45"
Even when it is a pilot initiated go around, the controller will usually come back with an instruction after the go around call is readback. However, things do get busy for controllers too and if I call a go around, dont hear from tower, i am NOT going to just fly a pattern....what if i am landing on the center? I have no idea who's departing the L or R! Then again, I would be as forceful as I could to get an instruction, but I think it is reasonable to fly a published missed in this situation, especially if I were to lose comms.

Ewfflyer

Rickair has it IMO. Visuals are non-published(as there is also no MAP either), and it's the pilots responsibility for all terrain and obstacle clearances after that point, including if a go-around/MAP is going to happen.

As far as conflicting traffic, you probably are going around for that reason right? You as the PIC need to make that call, and it is highly circumstantial.

As far as uncontrolled, I never contact approach again unless I'm needing to be cleared to another destination(say the rwy condition just doesn't look safe for whatever reason). When you call field in sight, you are basically promising you will stay clear of clouds etc... So there shouldn't be any issues in that regards, but I'm sure it happens more than I'd like to think.

To really solve this issue, does anyone have an ATC contact at one of the major airports? Might be a good question to ask. Honestly I don't see too many situations where you are not going to be able to:
A. transmit and get a new clearance within 10 seconds,

B. just go rwy heading, get to a safe altitude, and then still make contact with the tower. They will know something is up by the time you hit 500AGL IMO.

TonyC

Don't confuse a flight plan with a clearance, or IMC with IFR. A visual approach is a legitimate clearance while on an IFR flight plan. When given clearance to fly a Visual Approach, there is no missed approach procedure published. Consequently, if you go around for whatever reason, you are still conducting a visual maneuver on an IFR flightplan.

Given that you are on an IFR flight plan and cleared for a visual approach, your first action after the go-around would be to climb to the traffic pattern altitude. Absent instructions from the tower, you'd likely fly the traffic pattern for another attempt at landing. With instructions from the tower, you'd likely do the same. Therefore, it's not unrealistic to brief this plan along with your approach briefing.

Again, don't confuse IMC with IFR, or meteorological conditions with flight rules. One poster above suggested that the visual pattern would be best because it would keep you from flying back into clouds. That may be the circumstance, but it is not relevant. The fact is, the procedure would apply if the skies were clear with unlimited visibility -- there is no IFR Missed Approach Procedure on the "back end" of a visual approach. Clearance for the ILS is also clearance for the Missed Approach Procedure. Clearance for the Visual approach is not. One visual maneuver would be followed by another visual maneuver.





Now, taking into account the inference in your post that a tower is in play in your particular scenario, I would consider the following as part of the approach briefing.


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