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I have never seen a sidestep landing on an approach plate. What is a sidestep landing and when I can chose this approach?

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From the AIM 5-4-19:

5−4−19. Side−step Maneuver

a. ATC may authorize a standard instrument approach procedure which serves either one of parallel runways that are separated by 1,200 feet or less followed by a straight−in landing on the adjacent runway.

b. Aircraft that will execute a side−step maneuver will be cleared for a specified approach procedure and landing on the adjacent parallel runway. Example, “cleared ILS runway 7 left approach, side−step to runway 7 right.” Pilots are expected to commence the side−step maneuver as soon as possible after the runway or runway environment is in sight. Compliance with minimum altitudes associated with stepdown fixes is expected even after the side−step maneuver is initiated.

NOTE−
Side−step minima are flown to a Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA) regardless of the approach authorized.

c. Landing minimums to the adjacent runway will be based on nonprecision criteria and therefore higher than the precision minimums to the primary runway, but will normally be lower than the published circling minimums.

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  • $\begingroup$ Also, a sidestep approach should be listed on the approach plate with it's own minima, and this would typically be used where only one parallel runway has a (working) ILS but ATC prefers traffic to land on the other one(s) when possible. $\endgroup$
    – StephenS
    Jan 6, 2019 at 20:11
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It’s for flying an instrument approach to one runway, then sidestepping, or moving over to land on a parallel runway nearby

EG “Cessna one seven two Sierra Papa, you are 4 miles east of DUANE. Turn right heading two eight zero, descend and maintain on thousand eight hundred. Cleared ILS Runway 32L, sidestep to land Runway 32R. Maintain one thousand eight hundred until established. Contact Boeing Tower one two zero point six.”

A sidestep to land approach would be flown down to the published circling minimums and is considered to be a circle to land procedure. If circling did to terrain or obstacle, etc. is not allowed, neither would a sidestep procedure.

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  • $\begingroup$ According to the AIM, a side-step is flown to the MDA, not to circling minimums $\endgroup$
    – Pondlife
    Jan 6, 2019 at 19:49
  • $\begingroup$ Circling Approaches make use of an MDA. Now the AIM does state, Now AIM 5-4-19 does state that “Landing minimums to the adjacent runway will be based on nonprecision criteria and therefore higher than the precision minimums to the primary runway, but will normally be lower than the published circling minimums“. That being said unless specific side step minimum are published along with the plate, I’d play it safe and use circling minimums for a side step. $\endgroup$ Jan 6, 2019 at 20:54
  • $\begingroup$ I guess my point was that the AIM says that side-step minima aren't the same as circling minima. I see what you mean about being conservative with altitude but using the circling minima could leave you too high to land without circling. That might not be an issue anyway, of course. I've never flown a side-step approach myself so I don't know what ATC expects in practice. $\endgroup$
    – Pondlife
    Jan 6, 2019 at 21:41
  • $\begingroup$ For a sidestep maneuver, not necessarily. All that is required here is that you have the runway environment of the parallel runway to be used for landing in sight by the time you reach circling minimums. If not, execute a go-around as you would if flying a circling approach. What the AIM states is kind of a gray area without specific published minimums for a side step maneuver. Without further input from an authorized source, I’d say just use circling minimums for the approach. Anything else may be risky. $\endgroup$ Jan 7, 2019 at 0:06
  • $\begingroup$ Would ATC even call it a "sidestep" approach if there aren't published minima for that, or would they call it a "circling" approach? $\endgroup$
    – StephenS
    Jan 7, 2019 at 3:35

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