The term used to describe the visual phase of flight after completing an instrument approach, to bring an aircraft into position for landing on a runway which is not suitably located for straight-in approach, is:

• A. contact approach
• B. visual manoeuvring (circling)
• C. aerodrome traffic pattern
• D. visual approach

Answer: (B)

After finishing an instrument approach, if the runway you plan to land on isn’t aligned with that approach path, you fly a visual maneuver to position the aircraft for a landing on that runway. This is the circling phase, often described as a visual maneuvering (circling) maneuver. You descend and maneuver visually to line up with the chosen runway while staying within the published circling area and meeting the required weather and obstacle clearance minima. The other terms refer to different procedures: a contact approach is a specific IFR method to proceed to the airport with a particular visibility and cloud-clearance requirement, the aerodrome traffic pattern is the standard circuit around the field for landings, and a visual approach is when you land by visual reference from the outset under an IFR clearance. Circling is the correct term for repositioning to a non-straight-in runway after an instrument approach.