"Russ MacDonald" wrote in message
news:YtfQd.31190$uc.1103@trnddc03...

I thought my question was simple.

I have never flown a contact approach in 30 years of professional flying.
I'm trying to learn why. Am I (and all my Texas buddies) missing some big
advantage?


Not particularly. In my experience contact approaches are requested by
aircraft that happen to spot the field while being vectored for IAPs.



All I am asking is what are the differences in the weather, or the
terrain, or whatever, in the northeast that cause lots of contact
approaches
instead of visual approaches? Is it because the weather is not good
enough for a
visual approach? It would seem that the weather and terrain are similar
to the Carolinas and Georgia where I have done a lot of flying, yet I
never
have heard pilots there requesting contact approaches.


A visual approach requires VFR conditions, a contact approach requires one
mile visibility.



As far as the visual approaches I fly regularly, many are at fields that
don't have any weather reporting (so I know that the contact approach
would not be authorized there). ATC just drops me down to the minumum
vectoring
altitude, and tells me to let them know when I have the field, and then
they clear me for the visual. There is no consideration as to whether or
not
the field is IFR or VFR. I have flown hundreds, if not thousands of
approaches, like this. It is not uncommon on an attempted visual approach
in bad
weather, to call ATC back and tell them I couldn't maintain contact with
the runway environment, and need an approach. This usually happens near
the
Gulf due to quickly developing fog.


There is supposed to be consideration as to whether or not the field is IFR
or VFR. The controller must ensure that weather conditions at the airport
are VFR or that the pilot has been informed that weather is not available
for the destination airport. If being vectored for the visual approach
there must be reasonable assurance (e.g. area weather reports, PIREPs, etc.)
that descent and flight to the airport can be made visually.