You can find charted visual approaches at towered airports around the country. They're established for environmental considerations, noise abatement procedures, and for the overall safety and efficiency of air traffic operations.
Why Do Charted Visual Flight Procedures (CVFPs) Exist?
While they're primarily designed for jet aircraft, you'll find piston aircraft flying CVFPs too. Instead of using NAVAIDs like a localizer or VOR, each visual chart depicts local landmarks, courses, and recommended altitudes for an approach to a specific runway.
Visual Approaches vs. CVFPs
According to the FAA, CVFPs differ from normal visual approaches because they require a pilot to have a charted landmark, rather than the airport, in sight (AIM 5-4-22/23). A CVFP might also have higher weather minimums than a visual approach. Air Traffic Control will not issue clearances for CVFPs when the weather is less than the published minimum, they'll put you on an approach instead.
These weather minimums are displayed on the CVFP chart, similar to an instrument approach.
Clearance and Weather Minimums
To fly a CVFP, pilots must have a charted visual landmark or the preceding aircraft in sight. According to the FAA's Instrument Procedures Handbook, "ATC will only clear pilots for a CVFP if the reported ceiling at the airport of intended landing is at least 500 feet above the MVA/MIA, and the visibility is 3 SM or more, unless higher minimums are published for the particular CVFP."
If you accept a CVFP clearance following traffic, you become responsible for maintaining safe altitude, separation from preceding traffic, and wake turbulence separation. Just like other visual approaches, you must advise ATC that you're unable to continue a charted visual approach if you lose contact with the preceding aircraft or the required landmarks along the approach.
Flying A Missed Approach
CVFPs are not instrument approaches and, like regular visual approaches, do not have a published missed approach procedure. Your missed approach should be planned to pattern altitude, and further instructions will come from the tower. When you review the approach, brief your planned altitude and direction in the event of a missed approach.
Example: Roaring Fork Visual Runway 15, Aspen (KASE)
As you can see, the Roaring Fork Visual to Runway 15 in Aspen has several inbound directions. The landmarks you'll use are mountains, the Red Table VOR, rivers, and valleys surrounding KASE. And, as stated in the notes, the procedure is not authorized at night.
Example: River Visual Runway 19, Washington DC (KDCA)
The River Visual to Runway 19 in at Washington's Reagan Airport is one of the best-known CVFPs out there. The procedure is relatively straightforward: follow the river inbound. The risk lies in penetrating one of the prohibited areas found just on the eastern edge of the Potomac, surrounding the White House, Capitol, and Washington Mall.
Have you flown a charted visual approach? Tell us in the comments below.
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