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From this question. I am not instrument rated. The answers to the question explain, from the point of view of the plate instructions, if a PT is required or not. The OP was failed for not performing a hold.

However, I can't see why a turn or hold is required at all. If you are approaching within say 30 degrees, why would you not simply turn onto the final approach course and fly the approach (assuming that you are cleared of course)?

If you were simply cleared direct to BEJCY and cleared for the approach, then your instructor is correct and you should have completed the procedure turn as charted.

The OP was approaching from SSW from AUGIE so continuing to BEJCY puts him 21 degrees to the South. Why not just turn right onto 007?

I am assuming no ATC instructions to do anything other than the published approach.

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    $\begingroup$ That question started to highlight for me why an IR rating is so damn lengthy and expensive! $\endgroup$
    – Dan
    Dec 2, 2015 at 10:55
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    $\begingroup$ As I read the referenced question, I note that the pilot was inbound from SSW (eg. lower-left of the plate). AUGIE is SSE (lower-right of the map). I interpret this as the pilot was using BEJCY as an IAF, not AUGIE. So I disagree with the statement "The OP was approaching from SSW from AUGIE, so continuing to BEJCY puts him 21 degrees to the South". We actually don't know how far off "straight-in" the course was. $\endgroup$
    – abelenky
    Dec 2, 2015 at 14:13

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Read that other question again. He was approaching from the SSW and made an assumption based on the approach segment from AUGIE. He wasn't actually on the AUGIE-BEJCY leg as it would be impossible to be there if he were approaching from the SSW.

His clearance was "Direct BEJCY cleared for the GPS 01 approach". That clearance, in lieu of any specific instructions about the procedure turn, requires that the procedure turn be flown. He assumed that because he was roughly on the extended centerline of the runway SSW of the airport that he was exempt. However, there is no charted course there labelled "NoPT", so his assumption was incorrect.

Back to your question of why someone flying from that location would have to fly the PT, and the answer generally boils down to "TERPS". The leg from AUGIE can be flown at 3000 ft while the area minimum safe altitude is 3100 ft. It is very likely the minimum enroute altitude over that area is higher than 3100 feet. This means a pilot that is using BEJCY as the IAF may be considerably higher altitude than 3000 ft. On this approach you ideally want to be at 2500 ft by the FAF at CUCTO. If you are approaching BEJCY from any direction other than AUGIE this means you cannot start your descent from whatever altitude you are at down to 2500' until passing BEJCY. The procedure turn is not only for course alignment but also to descend to the procedure altitude from the enroute environment.

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    $\begingroup$ TL;DR - To have time to descend from the enroute altitude to the altitude for starting the approach. ;-) $\endgroup$
    – Lnafziger
    Dec 3, 2015 at 1:07
  • $\begingroup$ @Lnafziger Yep, that was the answer I took out of it ;). Thanks Casey. $\endgroup$
    – Simon
    Dec 4, 2015 at 14:22
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    $\begingroup$ Thank you, that answered my question about why straight-in approaches are not ALL noPT. I have to remember to think in three dimensions. $\endgroup$
    – Bill
    Sep 24, 2018 at 18:54

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