Right Turns on Circling Approach?

CRJ200 is cat D

Category D: Between 141 knots and 165 knots.

Normal ref for us is 145-ish, that is a good average, unless a flaps fail then it can go up to around 180 IIRC
 
The FAA Chief Counsel published an August 8, 2013 interpretation of the §91.126 requirement that at non-towered airports, all turns in the traffic pattern are to be to the left unless “otherwise authorized or required.” The question asked was whether turns in the opposite direction were authorized when a pilot is executing a circling approach.

In short, the answer is, not automatically.

The Chief Counsel’s answer was less than helpful. Doing nothing more than citing the regulatory “otherwise authorized or required” language, the letter of interpretation goes on to say:

The FAA emphasizes, however, that the circumstances in which this deviation from § 91.126(b)(l) is "authorized or required" are very limited. The phrase "authorized or required" itself does not give pilots the discretion to deviate from § 91.126. Such deviation must be "authorized or required" by the approach guidelines of a specific airport or by another FAA regulation.

The only example the letter gives is an emergency . It would have been more helpful to give an example less obvious. For instance, if a circling approach has the notation, “Circling W of Runway 17-35 NA” is that authority to make the turns in the opposite direction if it’s a sound way to remain east of 17-35?


The letter of interpretation may be read here.

... how about if you're inbound from CASSE and you're told "at Lincoln Ave, circle west for landing 17-R" ? You have to make right turns
 
... how about if you're inbound from CASSE and you're told "at Lincoln Ave, circle west for landing 17-R" ? You have to make right turns
KAPA is a towered airport. (which is why there's someone to tell you anything about the direction to land. The opinion and the underlying rule only apply at non-towered airports.

Besides, if the tower were closed, the traffic pattern for 17R is a right-handed traffic pattern.
 
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