What is the primary difference between a visual and contact approach?

What is the primary difference between a visual and contact approach?

• A. A pilot must request a contact approach, however ATC may assign a visual approach.
• B. A contact approach uses ground-based navigation aids only.
• C. A visual approach requires the airplane to be IFR.
• D. There is no difference; both are the same.

Answer: (A)

The key idea is who initiates the approach and under what conditions you fly it using visual references. A visual approach is something ATC can clear you for when you can fly to the airport using visual cues and you have the airport or traffic in sight; you’re operating in visual meteorological conditions, and ATC provides traffic separation as needed. A contact approach, by contrast, is an IFR procedure you must ask for. It lets you navigate to the airport primarily by visual references while remaining under IFR, but it requires you to be able to proceed with visibility and separation in clear of clouds, typically with lower visibility criteria than a visual approach. So the best distinction is that you can be assigned a visual approach by ATC, whereas a contact approach must be requested by the pilot.

The key idea is who initiates the approach and under what conditions you fly it using visual references. A visual approach is something ATC can clear you for when you can fly to the airport using visual cues and you have the airport or traffic in sight; you’re operating in visual meteorological conditions, and ATC provides traffic separation as needed. A contact approach, by contrast, is an IFR procedure you must ask for. It lets you navigate to the airport primarily by visual references while remaining under IFR, but it requires you to be able to proceed with visibility and separation in clear of clouds, typically with lower visibility criteria than a visual approach.

So the best distinction is that you can be assigned a visual approach by ATC, whereas a contact approach must be requested by the pilot.