Standard Instrument Departure Procedure (SID) SIDs can help condense your flight plan in a nice neat package, reduce ATC workload, and make receiving your clearance from ATC much easier. However, if you ever decide you don’t want to use a SID, and don’t want ATC to file you using one, just place “NO SIDS” in… Continue reading SIDs SC
Topic Category: IFR
ODP SC
Obstacle Departure Procedures (ODPs) ODPs come in two forms, textual and graphic. When the textual ODP is considered to be “complex” (lots of turns or weird instructions), the FAA will also make it available in graphical form. It’s important to remember, that although there is no regulation forcing you to fly a published ODP, it… Continue reading ODP SC
ASR / PAR SC
Airport Surveillance Radar and Precision Approach Radar IAPs Congrats! You just found the simplest approach plate known to man! The Radar Minimums! This is what an approach plate looks like for an ASR or PAR approach. You just read the minimums, ATC takes care of the rest….no frequencies to set for a LOC or GPS!.… Continue reading ASR / PAR SC
When Can You Log an Instrument Approach? SC
When Can You Log an Instrument Approach? The FAA issued INFO 15012 (Information for Operators) to help us understand exactly when you can and cannot log an instrument approach for the purpose of instrument currency or training. Under any scenario, the pilot logging instrument currency/training must be flying solely by reference to instruments (obvious I… Continue reading When Can You Log an Instrument Approach? SC
RNAV / LNAV / VNAV / LPV SC
What is RNAV? RNAV in simple terms is GPS. RNAV stands for “Area Navigation” (thanks acronym maker guy). Bottom line, if you are planning on using a RNAV approach plate, you are going to be doing an approach that uses GPS instead of a ground-based navigation system, such as a VOR or Localizer/Glideslope. What are… Continue reading RNAV / LNAV / VNAV / LPV SC
LDA / SDF SC
Localizer Directional Aid / Simplified Directional Facility Both non-precision and uncommon approaches. You are more likely to find a LDA over a SDF. At the time of this writing, there are only two SDF approaches in the United States (if you’re wondering what information that it is okay to let fall out of your brain,… Continue reading LDA / SDF SC
VOR SC
The Very Inaccurate VOR Approach! It’s no surprise this is a non-precision approach. They might as well call this an obstacle clearing procedure rather than an Instrument Approach Procedure. In my experience with the reliability of the VOR stations in the USA the way it is and the condition of most VOR receivers in today’s… Continue reading VOR SC
DME Arc SC
DME Arcs…..because they just had to build the airport right inside of all the mountains. A DME arc is a ROUTE, that is part of the PUBLISHED portion of an APPROACH. It could be on an ILS, RNAV, VOR, or any approach really. The key ingredient here is there is something that is going to… Continue reading DME Arc SC
ILS / LOC SC
Reading ILS and LOCALIZER Plates Watch the above video to refresh on what information is on the plate and where it is. Use the LEGEND below to help decipher the symbols on the chart. You can also use the CHART USERS GUIDE under Pilot Resources for those obscure symbols you want to look up that… Continue reading ILS / LOC SC
Approach Plate Extra Credit! SC
Want to Know MORE! Check out some extra credit information here to learn a little bit more about instrument approach plates and how to put them to good use in the cockpit (no you can’t eat off them!….they can make good napkins though….). Grab a beer and see what new information you can learn! It’s… Continue reading Approach Plate Extra Credit! SC