What NDBs are still on in the US?

N1120A

N1120A

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N1120A
All,

This isn't meant to be a debate about whether we should still put ADFs in planes or if we should bother learning NDB approaches. Instead, I was just wondering which ones are still actually on? I don't see any active NDB approaches here in Southern California, but you still see some on charts. That said, I know many are off. Anyone know which are actually still on?
 
Surprisingly there are a lot. They don’t require much maintenance or electric.
 
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I think there are lots in Alaska.
 
Clip4 said:
Surprisingly there are a lot. They don’t require much maintenance.
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Yep, DMEs are going away faster, subsumed by GPS on the military (TACAN) and civilian side.
 
Here just north of Charlotte, NC at RUQ they have NBD Rwy 20. Though, with an ILS and GPS approach to the same runway I’d be surprised if it was ever used outside of a sadistic instructor :D
 
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Had a Checkairman who loved making us do NDBs, also a few places like using them for interviews.
 
snglecoil said:
Here just north of Charlotte, NC at RQU they have NBD Rwy 20. Though, with an ILS and GPS approach to the same runway I’d be surprised if it was ever used outside of a sadistic instructor :D
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RUQ (formerl Rowan county, now MidCarolina).
 
In Arizona we have a few:

KCHD - NDB Rwy 04
KAVQ - NDB Rwy 12
KRYN - NDB Rwy 06R
KAZC - NDB A
KSOW - NDB A

So I have some chances to exercise my still functioning ADF.
 
My ADF was functional - until last month.

The airplane knows it's going in for new avionics, it seems.

I was going to save the ADF and have it integrated into the new audio panel. But now - it goes.

The timing is good, it saved me the money of having it integrated, only to be the next dead-item in the panel.
 
KCDW uses one on the LOC 22 approach for missed. So better have something that can get you there if you want to shoot IFR approaches lacking GPS.
 
We pulled our ADF and a few other near useless things when the plane went in for ADSB. Bummer, no more ballgames on the radio...
 
There is still a NDB 4 to KPHN (Port Huron, MI). Also, the ILS 4 there still says ADF REQUIRED.

That's the only NDB approach I've ever flown... VFR, and in a long-ago sold airplane (a friend's, not mine).
 
wheaties said:
KCDW uses one on the LOC 22 approach for missed. So better have something that can get you there if you want to shoot IFR approaches lacking GPS.
Click to expand...

It has an Alternate Missed that goes to SBJ, a VOR. You would just have to tell ATC that you’ll need that.
 
There used to be some compass locator beacons in my area and a couple of NDB approaches, but they were decommissioned when they became too costly or time consuming to repair. I pulled my ADF long ago and the draggy sense wire with it. I never had the need to fly an NDB approach except in training, and they are far and few between in the NE, and are rarely the preferred option.

Fun to fly, though. They will teach you a lot about holding a course in a crosswind.
 
Seems the LOM for KILG (Newcastle Delaware) seems in operation. Got a marker light overflying it yesterday.
 
The ILS at North Bend, Oregon (OTH) requires use of the LOM for the missed approach unless you have an IFR GPS, but the NDB is NOTAMed out of service until Oct. 30th. There's a NOTAM calling for use of the alternate missed approach, which does not use the NDB, with an estimated ending date of Dec. 31st. Whether this means the NDB will be returned to service, I don't know.

The ELWHA LOM on the ILS at Port Angeles, Washington (CLM) is apparently still in service. Without an ADF, I'm not sure how feasible it would be to get on that approach unless you have an IFR GPS or get radar vectors, because of accuracy issues using the VOR feeder routes from the east, and the note prohibiting use of the approach when Victor 4 is used to get to the Tatoosh IAF.

Approaches like these are why it bugs me when the owners of rental planes remove the ADF without installing an IFR GPS.
 

Attachments

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That approach is not long for this earth, me thinks... I mean, the North Bend VOR is right there, couldn't they build a hold based off that?
 
George Mohr said:
That approach is not long for this earth, me thinks...
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Methinks (one word) that the approach is not likely to go away, because of the frequent low stratus that rolls in off the ocean. However, if the ADF is not returned to service, they will obviously have to amend the approach.

I mean, the North Bend VOR is right there, couldn't they build a hold based off that?
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They have already done so; see the depicted alternate missed approach fix.
 
Google, still your friend.

https://aviation.stackexchange.com/...ain-a-list-of-active-ndb-approaches/3547#3547

"This list comes from a database query against an ARINC 424 navigation database. The data is available on a subscription basis (for a fee) from the FAA as a raw, computer-readable data file, but it is not human readable, and querying it requires special software not accessible to the typical interested party. I have done the query for you and pasted the results.

Note the database doesn't distinguish between "NDB RWY XX" and "NDB OR GPS RWY XX" so the titles here may not precisely match what you see on the plate.

Time permitting I'll see if I can update the list (and note any changes) using the most up-to-date navigation database. This list is based on an expired (by 2 months or so) database. These approaches are dropping like flies.

02A NDB RWY 26 (CLANTON, AL)
06FA NDB RWY 09 (JUPITER, FL)
06FA NDB RWY 27 (JUPITER, FL)
0F2 NDB RWY 17 (BOWIE, TX)
0F2 NDB RWY 35 (BOWIE, TX)
0M3 NDB RWY 02 (HOHENWALD, TN)
15F NDB RWY 18 (HASKELL, TX)
16G NDB RWY 24 (TIFFIN, OH)
1B1 NDB-A (HUDSON, NY)
1B9 NDB RWY 32 (MANSFIELD, MA)
1G3 NDB RWY 01 (KENT, OH)
1H8 NDB RWY 04 (CASEY, IL)
1H8 NDB RWY 22 (CASEY, IL)
1J0 NDB-A (BONIFAY, FL)
1S3 NDB RWY 26 (FORSYTH, MT)
21D NDB RWY 04 (ST PAUL, MN)
23R NDB RWY 35 (DEVINE, TX)
28J NDB RWY 09 (PALATKA, FL)
2A0 NDB RWY 03 (DAYTON, TN)
2B7 NDB RWY 36 (PITTSFIELD, ME)
2F5 NDB RWY 16 (LAMESA, TX)
2F5 NDB RWY 34 (LAMESA, TX)
2G9 NDB RWY 25 (SOMERSET, PA)
2H0 NDB-A (SHELBYVILLE, IL)
2J5 NDB RWY 17 (MILLEN, GA)
2M2 NDB RWY 17 (LAWRENCEBURG, TN)
2R6 NDB RWY 36 (BUNKIE, LA)
35A NDB RWY 05 (UNION, SC)
3B4 NDB-B (ELIOT, ME)
3F3 NDB RWY 18 (MANSFIELD, LA)
3F4 NDB RWY 09 (VIVIAN, LA)
3JC NDB-B (JUNCTION CITY, KS)
45R NDB RWY 13 (KOUNTZE/SILSBEE, TX)
48Y NDB RWY 33 (PINECREEK, MN)
4A9 NDB-A (FT PAYNE, AL)
4F2 NDB RWY 35 (CARTHAGE, TX)
4K6 NDB RWY 36 (BLOOMFIELD, IA)
4R7 NDB RWY 16 (EUNICE, LA)
4V8 NDB RWY 01 (WEST DOVER, VT)
53A NDB RWY 18 (MONTEZUMA, GA)
5R4 NDB RWY 18 (FOLEY, AL)
5R8 NDB RWY 16 (DE QUINCY, LA)
6B6 NDB-A (STOW, MA)
70J NDB RWY 13 (CAIRO, GA)
79J NDB RWY 29 (ANDALUSIA/OPP, AL)
79J NDB-A (ANDALUSIA/OPP, AL)
7F3 NDB RWY 35 (CADDO MILLS, TX)
8A0 NDB-A (ALBERTVILLE, AL)
8B0 NDB-A (RANGELEY, ME)
8F3 NDB RWY 35 (CROSBYTON, TX)
8G2 NDB RWY 14 (CORRY, PA)
D73 NDB-A (MONROE, GA)
E30 NDB RWY 35 (BALLINGER, TX)
E38 NDB RWY 19 (ALPINE, TX)
F10 NDB RWY 36 (HENRYETTA, OK)
F17 NDB RWY 17 (CENTER, TX)
F44 NDB RWY 35 (ATHENS, TX)
F46 NDB-A (ROCKWALL, TX)
F99 NDB RWY 17 (HOLDENVILLE, OK)
I23 NDB RWY 23 (WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, OH)
I68 NDB-A (LEBANON, OH)
I69 NDB RWY 22 (BATAVIA, OH)
K34 NDB-D (GARDNER, KS)
K88 NDB RWY 01 (IOLA, KS)
KAAA NDB RWY 21 (LINCOLN, IL)
KAAF NDB RWY 14 (APALACHICOLA, FL)
KAAF NDB RWY 32 (APALACHICOLA, FL)
KAAS NDB RWY 23 (CAMPBELLSVILLE, KY)
KABI NDB RWY 35R (ABILENE, TX)
KABR NDB RWY 31 (ABERDEEN, SD)
KABY NDB RWY 04 (ALBANY, GA)
KACK NDB RWY 24 (NANTUCKET, MA)
KACP NDB RWY 36 (OAKDALE, LA)
KADF NDB RWY 04 (ARKADELPHIA, AR)
KADG NDB RWY 05 (ADRIAN, MI)
KAFK NDB RWY 15 (NEBRASKA CITY, NE)
KAFK NDB RWY 33 (NEBRASKA CITY, NE)
KAHN NDB RWY 27 (ATHENS, GA)
KAHQ NDB RWY 20 (WAHOO, NE)
KAID NDB RWY 30 (ANDERSON, IN)
KAIK NDB RWY 25 (AIKEN, SC)
KAIT NDB RWY 16 (AITKIN, MN)
KAJR NDB RWY 06 (CORNELIA, GA)
KAKH NDB RWY 03 (GASTONIA, NC)
KAKQ NDB RWY 20 (WAKEFIELD, VA)
KAKR NDB RWY 25 (AKRON, OH)
KALN NDB RWY 17 (ALTON-ST LOUIS, IL)
KALW NDB RWY 20 (WALLA WALLA, WA)
KALX NDB-A (ALEXANDER CITY, AL)
KAMA NDB RWY 04 (AMARILLO, TX)
KAMT NDB RWY 23 (WEST UNION, OH)
KANB NDB RWY 05 (ANNISTON, AL)
..."

See link for a million more. It's dated maybe five years old but worth checking them out if you're looking for one.
 
Bill Jennings said:
We pulled our ADF and a few other near useless things when the plane went in for ADSB. Bummer, no more ballgames on the radio...
Click to expand...
A prior owner of my plane did a panel upgrade at some point, putting in a GNS 430 and removing the ADF. They apparently felt like you do about their AM radio, because they put one of these in:

pcd7100_big.jpg


It has a CD player with MP3 capability and an AM/FM radio. I don't use it much, but it'll get you the ballgame without any chance of having to fly an NDB approach.
 
Palmpilot said:
Methinks (one word) that the approach is not likely to go away, because of the frequent low stratus that rolls in off the ocean. However, if the ADF is not returned to service, they will obviously have to amend the approach.
Click to expand...

I wasn't suggesting they kill the ILS, just the four-course-range based missed HAHAH
 
iamtheari said:
A prior owner of my plane did a panel upgrade at some point, putting in a GNS 430 and removing the ADF. They apparently felt like you do about their AM radio, because they put one of these in:

pcd7100_big.jpg


It has a CD player with MP3 capability and an AM/FM radio. I don't use it much, but it'll get you the ballgame without any chance of having to fly an NDB approach.
Click to expand...

Our previous owner had something similar as well, we also had it pulled at ADSB time. Above the ADF receiver next to the MP gauge. Yup, AM/FM/CD player, good riddance! New Garmin 345 is where the CD player used to be.

DSC01631.JPG
 
Previous owner of my Arrow installed an automotive AM/FM/CD in the panel. Last annual before we bought it, the A&P/IA removed it as non-aviation and notated that in the log. Owner put it back.
 
alfadog said:
...It's dated maybe five years old but worth checking them out if you're looking for one.
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An awful lot of NDBs have been decommissioned in the past five years. The process has really accelerated.
 
The ones in my state in Alphadog's list are all sites of intensive training activity.
 
There are lots of small airports that have NDB's here in Iowa. Without GPS, it's the only way to find most of them. In fact, I just shot an NDB approach on my IFR check ride 2 weeks ago.
 
I would think that NDBs will remain vital for commercial training, as they are still common overseas. No?
 
wheaties said:
KCDW uses one on the LOC 22 approach for missed. So better have something that can get you there if you want to shoot IFR approaches lacking GPS.
Click to expand...

luvflyin said:
It has an Alternate Missed that goes to SBJ, a VOR. You would just have to tell ATC that you’ll need that.
Click to expand...

I asked about this on the (soon to be former) AOPA Forum, and according to Mark, planning a flight without the equipment required for the primary missed approach would not meet the IFR-equipment requirements of 91.205(a) and (d).
 
Huge numbers of NDB approaches remain in the UK and only a handful of GPS approaches.

One advantage being you don't have to pay for a database for an ADF unit
 
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