When flying a circling approach, is there a Height Above Touchdown (HAT)?

When flying a circling approach, is there a Height Above Touchdown (HAT)?

• A. No, there is an HAA
• B. Yes, there is an HAT
• C. There is no height reference
• D. Height Above Ground (HAG)

Answer: (A)

Circling minima use Height Above Airport as the reference. When you circle, there isn’t a fixed touchdown point on a specific location; you’ll land on the airport surface at various possible points depending on the runway you choose and traffic. Because the actual touchdown point isn’t predetermined, the altitude is published relative to the airport’s elevation, not to a specific touchdown point. That’s why the reference you’ll see for circling is HAA (Height Above Airport) rather than Height Above Touchdown. Height above ground isn’t the standard reference for published circling minimums, and saying there’s no height reference wouldn’t be accurate.

Circling minima use Height Above Airport as the reference. When you circle, there isn’t a fixed touchdown point on a specific location; you’ll land on the airport surface at various possible points depending on the runway you choose and traffic. Because the actual touchdown point isn’t predetermined, the altitude is published relative to the airport’s elevation, not to a specific touchdown point. That’s why the reference you’ll see for circling is HAA (Height Above Airport) rather than Height Above Touchdown. Height above ground isn’t the standard reference for published circling minimums, and saying there’s no height reference wouldn’t be accurate.