Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What happens when you lose sight of the runway after you’ve already started circling to land?
A missed approach from a circling maneuver can be one of the more confusing situations in IFR flying. You’re no longer on the final approach course, you may be below the circling MDA, and the published missed approach was designed around a completely different starting point.
In this video, we fly the ILS into Saranac Lake (KSLK), circle to another runway, then lose the required visual reference and have to go missed. We’ll use AIM 5-4-21 to break down what the FAA expects: making an initial climbing turn toward the landing runway, remaining within the protected circling area, and maneuvering to become established on the published missed approach course.
We’ll also look at how this works in a G1000-equipped airplane, including switching from the localizer to GPS guidance, unsuspending the approach, intercepting the missed approach course, and continuing to the missed approach holding fix.
Circling approaches require you to think ahead—especially when the weather is close to minimums. Knowing what you’ll do if the runway disappears before you start the circle can make a complicated missed approach much easier to manage.
✈️ Want to strengthen your IFR knowledge? Check out FlightInsight Instrument Ground School for in-depth training on instrument procedures, approaches, weather, regulations, and real-world IFR decision making.
flight-insight.com
What happens when you lose sight of the runway after you’ve already started circling to land?
A missed approach from a circling maneuver can be one of the more confusing situations in IFR flying. You’re no longer on the final approach course, you may be below the circling MDA, and the published missed approach was designed around a completely different starting point.
In this video, we fly the ILS into Saranac Lake (KSLK), circle to another runway, then lose the required visual reference and have to go missed. We’ll use AIM 5-4-21 to break down what the FAA expects: making an initial climbing turn toward the landing runway, remaining within the protected circling area, and maneuvering to become established on the published missed approach course.
We’ll also look at how this works in a G1000-equipped airplane, including switching from the localizer to GPS guidance, unsuspending the approach, intercepting the missed approach course, and continuing to the missed approach holding fix.
Circling approaches require you to think ahead—especially when the weather is close to minimums. Knowing what you’ll do if the runway disappears before you start the circle can make a complicated missed approach much easier to manage.
✈️ Want to strengthen your IFR knowledge? Check out FlightInsight Instrument Ground School for in-depth training on instrument procedures, approaches, weather, regulations, and real-world IFR decision making.
flight-insight.com
