All Time Favorite Approach?

smv

smv

Pattern Altitude
Joined
Dec 30, 2019
Messages
1,661
Display Name
Display name:
smv
What is your all time favorite IAP and why is it your favorite?

Mine is a tie between the LDA 26L at PHNL at night and the VOR-A at KBTM in marginal conditions. I have done both and each of them are neat for different reasons.

The LDA because you are out over the ocean at a relatively low altitude and breaking out of the clouds at night and seeing Pearl Harbor out in front of you is pretty neat.

The VOR-A beause it is challenging and just plain spooky knowing there are mountains out there real close that you are going to hit if you don't get it right.
 
Last edited:
The approach that comes to mind first so I guess it's probably my most memorable was to KDCA.... It was back in 1992 & I honestly don't remember if it was a VOR approach or a visual I think to 19 (might have been to 15)...very low right over the Pentagon....and I remember following some lights on roof tops.

It was a different time back in those days, but even then it was striking to me that they let us fly our little 172 over the Pentagon like that.
 
Brad W said:
The approach that comes to mind first so I guess it's probably my most memorable was to KDCA.... It was back in 1992 & I honestly don't remember if it was a VOR approach or a visual I think to 19 (might have been to 15)...very low right over the Pentagon....and I remember following some lights on roof tops.

It was a different time back in those days, but even then it was striking to me that they let us fly our little 172 over the Pentagon like that.
Click to expand...

Interesting... About the closest I can see is the RNAV 15 which takes you down to about 380 AGL. Wonder how often they actually clear that approach?
 
I don’t know about “favorite”, but the VOR/DME 15 at KMTN is kind of entertaining.
 
I think the ILS Z 12 at MSO is probably the most "interesting" I've flown. Although the approach includes a DME arc, I didn't fly that and just received vectors. But it's a long, long final through a canyon with mountains on both sides. The missed approach is essentially the same as the MSO5.MSO departure from 12 (which is the most interesting departure I've flown), were your missed approach involves going through another canyon, but you have to turn right and intercept a VOR radial to do it.

Out here in the flatlands if you mess up an approach, main thing is you don't find the runway. That one has the risk of cumulogranite.
 
MauleSkinner said:
I don’t know about “favorite”, but the VOR/DME 15 at KMTN is kind of entertaining.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Arc all the way tp MAP (in a descent, no less). Quite the extra entertaining Missed Procedure on that one as well. Just when you thought you were done with the arc, along comes another! :)
 
Ted DuPuis said:
I think the ILS Z 12 at MSO is probably the most "interesting" I've flown. Although the approach includes a DME arc, I didn't fly that and just received vectors. But it's a long, long final through a canyon with mountains on both sides. The missed approach is essentially the same as the MSO5.MSO departure from 12 (which is the most interesting departure I've flown), were your missed approach involves going through another canyon, but you have to turn right and intercept a VOR radial to do it.

Out here in the flatlands if you mess up an approach, main thing is you don't find the runway. That one has the risk of cumulogranite.
Click to expand...

Wow... Only 200' climb before you need to turn NOW. Do not want to delay there for sure. I have been over and past MSO several times but do not think I have ever landed there. That one looks like a blast!

Spent most of my life in SW Montana and never realized Missoula was at so low of an elevation. No wonder their weather was always so much better than Butte. o_O
 
smv said:
Wow... Only 200' climb before you need to turn NOW. Do not want to delay there for sure. I have been over and past MSO several times but do not think I have ever landed there. That one looks like a blast!

Spent most of my life in SW Montana and never realized Missoula was at so low of an elevation. No wonder their weather was always so much better than Butte. o_O
Click to expand...

It's a lot of fun, but yeah, you best get it right and study it closely.

I flew the ILS in the later afternoon (not yet dark, but getting close) in November or December, I forget which. Snow was falling as I was landing. Then took off flying the MSO5 departure when it was still dark out, and once again snowing. I flew it in the MU-2 and wouldn't have wanted to fly it in anything less.
 
Just looked at the VOR approaches to MSO. The VOR-A Missed Approach is interesting.

Fly to the VOR, fly away from the VOR, fly back to the VOR. All while climbing 4000'.

The VOR-B has a 100° DME Arc...
:eek:
 
Brad W said:
The approach that comes to mind first so I guess it's probably my most memorable was to KDCA.... It was back in 1992 & I honestly don't remember if it was a VOR approach or a visual I think to 19 (might have been to 15)...very low right over the Pentagon....and I remember following some lights on roof tops.

It was a different time back in those days, but even then it was striking to me that they let us fly our little 172 over the Pentagon like that.
Click to expand...

LDA to 19 and or river visual? I flew into DCA late 80's to late 90's and liked doing it. Being corporate, Falcon 20, they would give us 22 or from the south 33. Stay over the river and watch for helicopters!

Second would be ASE with the missed to track outbound on a back course LOC.
 
My most memorable was the day after I got my instrument rating, I launched on an 800 mile trip to the east coast in mostly IFR conditions. Above a solid overcast, I decided to use the IFR 18 approach into LEB (Lebanon NH) to get gas. LEB was reporting 700 feet, and my "flatlander brain" was thinking "700 feet on an ILS? I got this, no problem!" As briefed the approach I noticed the minimums for the ILS were nearly 400 feet (and the missed called for a climb to 4500 feet), and like a newb-idiot I just shrugged, "I wonder why?" When I popped out of the clouds on the ILS, in a valley - well below the surrounding mountain tops, I got the shock of my life! Talk about "you don't know what you don't know"!

James331 said:
The one back to base
Click to expand...
My all time favorite is my simple VOR approach back to my home drone. Nothing like going home I guess.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: smv
smv said:
Interesting... About the closest I can see is the RNAV 15 which takes you down to about 380 AGL. Wonder how often they actually clear that approach?
Click to expand...
yeah, it was a long time ago. The only RNAV approaches back then pretty much were for Loran and I never flew any of those.
I remember a convoluted routing over flashing lights on roof tops... Maybe it was an RNAV or a visual. Regardless, as a new pilot and fledgling instrument student it was a big deal for me landing at DCA with the bonus of buzzing low right over the Pentagon.
 
Brad W said:
yeah, it was a long time ago. The only RNAV approaches back then pretty much were for Loran and I never flew any of those.
I remember a convoluted routing over flashing lights on roof tops... Maybe it was an RNAV or a visual. Regardless, as a new pilot and fledgling instrument student it was a big deal for me landing at DCA with the bonus of buzzing low right over the Pentagon.
Click to expand...

the only instrument approaches you're going to get are to runway 19 and 1. You'll get a visual to 15 or 19 coming from the north, and 1 or 33 coming up the river from the south. They rarely use 4-22 for landings; mostly just departures on 22.
 
smv said:
Agreed. Arc all the way tp MAP (in a descent, no less). Quite the extra entertaining Missed Procedure on that one as well. Just when you thought you were done with the arc, along comes another! :)
Click to expand...


That looks really cool, although with a total arc-distance exceeding 18 miles, the descent from 2,600 to 1,260 is certainly accomplished without any urgency.
 
  • Like
Reactions: smv
It's gone now, but there was a VOR/DME approach into Lufkin or Nacodoches that had two DME arcs as the procedural track. A big left turn, followed by a big right turn.

It looked like a big "S" on the chart. I think it was curved to avoid the other airport.

Seems like your inner ear would be messed up doing the transition from one turn to the other, unless you flew the "stop sign" style arc...
 
Brad W said:
yeah, it was a long time ago. The only RNAV approaches back then pretty much were for Loran and I never flew any of those.
Click to expand...
Both VOR/DME and Loran-C. Both sucked. Loran IAPs were worse because they had to be revised every 56-day cycle because of seasonal changes. Absurd.
 
IK04 said:
It's gone now, but there was a VOR/DME approach into Lufkin or Nacodoches that had two DME arcs as the procedural track. A big left turn, followed by a big right turn.

It looked like a big "S" on the chart. I think it was curved to avoid the other airport.

Seems like your inner ear would be messed up doing the transition from one turn to the other, unless you flew the "stop sign" style arc...
Click to expand...

That sounds like fun!
 
smv said:
Other than the nearly 90° runway intercept, why is this your favorite?
Click to expand...
1. The FAF is named after me when it originated as VOR/DME-B 40 years ago because got involved with the region and proved it would fit the terrain.
2. Two years ago it was proposed to changed it to RNAV-B. The flight procedures folks established it with a CAT A MDA of 1200. I fought them, then when up the food chain, prevailing with 400' lower minimums for CAT A.
 
aterpster said:
1. The FAF is named after me when it originated as VOR/DME-B 40 years ago because got involved with the region and proved it would fit the terrain.
2. Two years ago it was proposed to changed it to RNAV-B. The flight procedures folks established it with a CAT A MDA of 1200. I fought them, then when up the food chain, prevailing with 400' lower minimums for CAT A.
Click to expand...

Very cool! :cool:
 
Kinda surprised nobody has mentioned the RNAV (GPS) RNWY 16 to KPSM.

:)

Screenshot_20200203-165247_Pilot.jpg
 
The LOC/DME-E into Aspen. I’d done it a few times in the Pilatus simulator, but my first time there for real was in a Citation III. The weather was forecast to be clear, but when we got there there was a 4000’ thick layer. As good as the sim is, it just doesn’t do justice to the actual view when popping out of the bottom.
 
Dave Theisen said:
The LOC/DME-E into Aspen. I’d done it a few times in the Pilatus simulator, but my first time there for real was in a Citation III. The weather was forecast to be clear, but when we got there there was a 4000’ thick layer. As good as the sim is, it just doesn’t do justice to the actual view when popping out of the bottom.
Click to expand...

Looks like fun. Quite the missed approach using the back course from a totally different localizer, no less... :)

Do not see many "DUAL VHF NAVIGATION RECEIVERS REQUIRED".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top