boscomantico wrote:
I am afraid you don’t remember correctly. Kiel never had a BC approach. In fact, Germany never had any.
Not even at some US airbase?
In Europe, BC approaches were “sold” as “something too dangerous for us Europeans” but I don’t get that reasoning. It is much better than an ILS to the wrong end of the runway.
Definitely BC LOC is better than circle to land: they seem to have the same minima anyway and yes between CTL and BC LOC nothing beats the safety of straight-in
But these days, between BC LOC and GPS nothing beats GPS…the “ideal airport” will have ILS to one end, LPV to the other end and circling in between 
Here we can do circling day or night and in all weather, the FAA was never comfortable with such flying, so maybe explains why using BC LOC to non-ILS ends? manwhile, pilots in this side of the Atlantic are often advised to circle as it’s way safer (my impressions: “straight-in takeoff in bad weather” is dangerous in UK and “straight-in uncontrolled landing” is reckless in France )
Ibra wrote
“Here we can do circling day or night and in all weather, the FAA was never comfortable with such flying, so maybe explains why using BC LOC to non-ILS ends? manwhile, pilots in this side of the Atlantic are often advised to circle as it’s way safer (my impressions: “straight-in takeoff in bad weather” is dangerous in UK and “straight-in uncontrolled landing” is reckless in France”
I don’t understand what you are getting at here.
Personally, I would prefer a circle to land over a BC LOC any day, whether controlled or uncontrolled. As you say the minima are generally the same, so I see no advantage in it.
Circle to land is very little different from VFR and most of us started piloting by flying circuit after circuit so its not something unusual to us whereas BC LOC ILS is.
What do you mean by a straight in take off?
I just hate IFR circling: I suck at them, a personal allergy
I prefer stable IFR straigh-in: I am damn good at these !
gallois wrote:
Circle to land is very little different from VFR and most of us started piloting by flying circuit after circuit so its not something unusual to us whereas BC LOC ILS is.
It’s a personal taste rather than anything else, you may want to try circling at night or weather, I think it’s hardcore at 500ft but as I said before I rarely do it
If you think “IFR circling” is easy as “VFR circuit” then how about this: you fly overhead airport, then tight spiral & circle inside the protected area all the way to your circling minima and level there? no need for straigh-in IFR IAP, no need for stable approach, no need for tracking BC LOC or GPS guidance, no need for 2D/3D, actually every PPL pilot should be rated to do this “circling approach”, it’s easy !
gallois wrote:
What do you mean by a straight in take off?
Takeoff and climb on runway axis until you hit your cruise/safe altitude, the same way in VMC & IMC, it’s easier & safe than any other option…
In the US, most approaches offer a circle to land option. Many pilots don’t like them, particularly at night at an unfamiliar airport, with a low ceiling and 1 SM visibility. Some pilots and many certificated operators take the position, that if they can’t circle at the pattern altitude and have at least 3+ SM visibility, that they won’t do them. Regardless, they have to be regularly trained for if one is to remain proficient. Circling can be as low as 350 AGL and the sight picture is quite different for judging distances and a common error is to be too close to the runway on downwind ending up overshooting final. I teach a method to turn 45 degrees to the straight in runway, time 30 seconds, then turn downwind to establish sufficient room to make the base to final turn to the opposite runway being circled to.
I have done few instrument circling (the Mooney I flew that did not have an IFR GPS for a while), some were in weather at minima, my guess you need one or two every month to not become a statistic !
Back then I was used to low visual circuits in gliders & cubs (when cloud-base is low in winter as that is all what one can fly) but now I lack that kind of currency and I am reluctant to try again, funnily enough, I have done few instrument circling without even knowing how to go missed? when to descend? how much to bank? when to open? and where to look? and how to time it? pure hit & miss learning
@NCYankee, I do much the same although most of the time I just keep the tip of the wing on the centre line as seen from pilot’s seat, especially at night, unless of course it’s a VPT.
With a Robin you keep the cranked part of the wing on the centre line. With the protected area for an MVL (circling without a prescribed track) in a caregory A aircraft you could afford to go anywhere between 30secs and 1 min at 45° before turning downwind and still be within the protected area. But as it is a visual manoeuvre I prefer to look out the window. But it is personal preference. If pilots feel uncomfortable with it they should avoid it or go with an instructor until they feel comfortable.
The problem is you can’t practice this manoeuvre in most IFR simulators because there is no view out of the side windows.
The issue with using visual cues is that it is unreliable for spacing when flying the circle significantly below the normal pattern altitude. In US, we need to keep an identifiable portion of the airport (not the runway) in sight. A 45 degree turn to space for the downwind allows the airport to remain in sight, usually over my left shoulder.
