56
votes
Accepted
What do pilots landing on aircraft carriers do when the ship is not visible due to weather?
My experience is circa 1990s, but I can offer some perspective on US fixed wing operations.
Besides TACAN and ASR for non-precision approaches, there are (were) 3 precision instrument approach options ...
- 27.3k
33
votes
Is it possible to recover from a graveyard spiral?
Do pilots tend to believe in their instruments more than their own body's senses?
This is EXACTLY what you're taught to do in any instrument training, and the reason that training is mandatory to ...
- 35.7k
23
votes
What should a pilot flying IFR in IMC and on final, do if the vacuum system fails?
Your scenario isn't really realistic, the turn coordinator and the AI are almost always on different sources of power to protect against this very event. The TC is almost always electrically driven ...
- 54.4k
23
votes
Accepted
Why are most of KBOS's instrument departures and arrivals jet-only?
Performance.
And the fact that most of their traffic is jets.
The difference is, "jets" are pretty much all capable of accelerating quickly to 250 knots and climbing out expeditiously, and ...
- 53.7k
22
votes
Is it possible to recover from a graveyard spiral?
Pilots do not 'tend' to believe our instruments - we are trained to believe them. We have to, because our senses are not reliable in such situations. Yes, if you follow your gauges and ignore what the ...
- 471
21
votes
Accepted
What is this small number on the top right of an IAP?
It is the year followed by the day of the year of the last ammendment to the chart. If there have been no changes to the chart since it was first issued, this space is blank. In this case the chart ...
- 7,504
20
votes
Why would the USAF have no support for autolanding?
I was a Flight Test Engineer on DC-10-10 Ship 2 which was the Avionics Test airplane during initial certification. The DC-10 airplane was certified to CAT III Approach and Landing. The KC-10A was ...
- 201
17
votes
Accepted
What should a pilot flying IFR in IMC and on final, do if the vacuum system fails?
GdD’s answer is accurate (up vote). My answer will be more step by step.
The first thing you should do is recognize the issue. That might not be immediately easy depending on your aircraft and it’s ...
- 16.6k
15
votes
In the US, is there a way for a pilot to legally "maneuver at will" in actual IMC?
You don't have to have permission to fly in IMC in uncontrolled, class G, airspace. However, you must have an instrument rating and be in an IFR-certified aircraft. In uncontrolled airspace, you may ...
- 54.4k
14
votes
What do pilots landing on aircraft carriers do when the ship is not visible due to weather?
Although I can’t detail fixed wing operations at sea, many countries operating helicopters use an ELVA procedure, an Emergency Low Visibility Approach. Most vessels operating aircraft will have a ...
- 1,166
14
votes
Accepted
What does the letter "H" on the upper side of ADANA word and mean?
Customers have stated "We noticed an 'H' symbol next to an airspace
fix/navaid in the SID/STAR chart planview. Explain what this means?"
The "H" symbol serves as an indicator for ...
- 678
13
votes
When are procedure turns not required?
This is a good scenario from which a lot of people can learn. This is a situation where both the student and the examiner were wrong. It's common for pilots to get into the mindset that ATC always ...
- 131
13
votes
Accepted
Why are holding patterns in an oval shape?
I don't have any definitive information on why the oval shape was chosen. However, it seems to me to be the most practical shape given the navigational equipment available when holding patterns first ...
- 39.2k
13
votes
In the US, is there a way for a pilot to legally "maneuver at will" in actual IMC?
Yes. You can requests a local IFR, or quadrant clearance and then receive a clearance for a region, such as:
CLEARED TO FLY (general direction from NAVAID) OF (NAVAID name and
type) BETWEEN ...
- 2,326
13
votes
Instrument Approaches which do not have a FAF
The Lakeland approach you show does not have a FAF (Final Approach Fix) because there is no defined point (fix), where you are established inbound and start to descend. In this case, the FAF is given ...
- 58.3k
13
votes
Is it possible to recover from a graveyard spiral?
Making life-or-death decisions relying only on electronic instruments that may be erroneous when your whole body is telling you otherwise is nearly impossible, I think. Or am I wrong? Do pilots tend ...
- 18.2k
12
votes
Do any aircraft have a "self-contained ILS"?
Approaches guided by GPS are called RNAV; it can provide both lateral and vertical guidance, in some cases to the same precision as ILS Cat I, without need for a radar altimeter--which is not standard ...
- 27.9k
12
votes
Are there any/many US airports (with instrument approaches) still without RNAV approaches?
Very interesting question! I analysed my current navigation database*1 (AIRAC 2205), filtered for US airports with instrument approaches and grouped them into 3 categories:
airports with radio based ...
- 58.3k
11
votes
How does Jeppesen create its US charts?
FAA/NACO charts aren't masters, either
The master form of a FAA instrument approach procedure isn't the FAA/NACO approach plate for that procedure -- that plate is a derived document, just like the ...
11
votes
Accepted
Should I inform ATC about minor deviations to maintain VFR while on practice instrument approaches?
Yes, definitely. Approach is expecting you to fly the approach as published and/or instructed and if you can't do that for any reason then you need to tell them. They may be providing separation ...
- 72k
11
votes
Categories of aircraft (A,B,C,D): Is it possible for an airplane to move into a different category?
The FAA's Instrument Procedures Handbook, Chapter 4 has a good explanation of this (emphasis mine):
An airplane is certified in only one approach category, and although a
faster approach may ...
- 72k
11
votes
Why is autolanding ILS a thing, but not autotakeoffing ITS?
Autoland exists at least in part because a pilot can't safely hit (the right part of) the runway (at the right speed and attitude) without visual references, so a lot of precision electronic guidance ...
- 4,640
11
votes
Accepted
What is meant by "Outbound leg timing begins over/abeam the fix, whichever occurs later" in FAR/AIM 5-3-8?
The text is written that way to take into account the various type of holding entries. In case of a parallel or teardrop entry, the outbound leg starts after passing over the fix. In all other cases ...
- 84.5k
11
votes
Can I fly a STAR (standard terminal arrival route) if I can't maintain the minimum speed for it?
According to the FAA's Instrument Procedures Handbook, chapter 3 (p. 3-16):
Pilots may have noticed that minimum crossing altitudes and airspeed
restrictions appear on some STARs. These expected ...
- 72k
11
votes
Accepted
What are the constraints and procedures regarding IMC formation flight?
Short answer: The constraints are that you maintain sight, and procedures are to train and practice regularly, and thoroughly brief all contingencies.
CONSTRAINTS
Visibility can vary significantly in ...
- 27.3k
11
votes
Is it possible to recover from a graveyard spiral?
Yes, it is possible to recover. I wanted to add more context as well.
I once helped a primary flight student recover from a graveyard spiral initiated during a steep turn maneuver in visual ...
- 697
10
votes
What is DME Unlock?
I think it just means a situation in which the DME is "no longer locked on". Sounds like the DME may not be seen properly from those areas mentioned in the NOTAM.
From the Naval Instrument ...
- 6,081
10
votes
Why are holding patterns in an oval shape?
An IFR holding pattern is along some bearing (typically, a VOR radial).
By flying a racetrack pattern, the plane is flying inbound on the radial for a period of time (straight line), making a ...
- 31k
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