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 ...
- 24.8k
25
votes
Accepted
What are the reasons for autopilot restrictions on instrument approaches?
It's the fact the autopilot works more accurately than a pilot which is actually the cause of the restriction.
The decision to restrict the use of the autopilot usually comes from the certification ...
- 70.9k
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 ...
- 52.9k
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 ...
- 49.8k
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 ...
- 7,371
19
votes
When are procedure turns not required?
The correct thing to do very much depends on the clearance that you were given.
If you were simply cleared direct to BEJCY and cleared for the approach, then your instructor is correct and you should ...
- 58.6k
18
votes
Accepted
Why is a procedure turn required if you are more or less on the final approach course?
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 ...
- 35.2k
17
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 ...
- 171
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 ...
- 16.5k
16
votes
Can I circle to a different runway if cleared for an instrument approach without circling minimums?
The only minimums that apply to any approach are those printed on the plate. Doing anything else is being a test pilot. Minimums are charted based on obstacle clearance, descent gradient, distance ...
- 23.3k
15
votes
Accepted
Where does the final approach segment begin on an ILS approach?
No arguments needed, it's very specifically defined. According to the FAA's Pilot/Controller Glossary under SEGMENTS OF AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURE:
c. Final Approach− The segment between the ...
- 71.6k
15
votes
Accepted
Why do double-ended ILS runway share the same frequency from both sides?
Listen to the identifier... That will tell you if you have the 10R I-MRY or the 28L I-MTB ils. Some runways use the same frequency like this, while others use different frequencies for opposite ...
- 49.8k
15
votes
Accepted
How is a conflict between aircraft with TCAS I and II resolved?
TCAS 1 will only give a Traffic Advisory (TA). The crew will lookout for the other aircraft and take evasive action if necessary. They also may contact ATC for instructions. They will follow ATC ...
- 82.8k
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 ...
- 52.9k
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 ...
- 668
13
votes
Accepted
Why were "pattern a" and "pattern b" removed from the Instrument Flying Handbook?
I can't say for sure, but I would assume that the pattern-based drills were removed because of the new emphasis on scenario-based ("real world") training the FAA has been moving toward: While Pattern ...
- 68.3k
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 ...
- 2,137
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 ...
- 54.3k
12
votes
Accepted
Is it OK to make an approach without any straight-in segment at all?
If the aircraft has not established a stabilised approach, a go around is required. According to EUROCONTROL's Skybrary, a stabilised approach is defined as:
Their Approach-and-landing Accident ...
- 15.7k
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 ...
- 27.6k
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 ...
- 54.3k
11
votes
Accepted
What is a Visual Climb Over Airport (VCOA) and how is it properly executed?
It's defined in the pilot/controller glossary:
VISUAL CLIMB OVER AIRPORT (VCOA)− A departure option for an IFR
aircraft, operating in visual meteorological conditions equal to or
greater than ...
- 71.6k
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
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 ...
- 71.6k
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