VOR Approaches

VOR Approaches

VOR

- Introduced in 1940's primary means of navigation for commercial and general aviation

- Highway in the sky 

- by 2000, they were over 1,000 VORs operating in the USA. 

- Additional use is to give pilots to getting into airports via instrument approach procedure

 - VOR are not as widely used as people prefer to use ILS approaches and GPS

-  Consider non-precision approaches because no vertical guidance is provided. 

- Use for 2 categories: Terminal and Non-Terminal Approaches. (Initial Approach Fixes, Final Approach Fixes, Miss Approach Fixes)

- Every VOR approach is different 

- 3 steps 1. Outbound leg tracking a radial out from a VOR,  procedure turn, inbound leg where you are tracking a Radial towards the VOR

VOR use for Lateral Guidance 

VOR use for Distance Measuring -- Situational awareness

Terminal Approach - VOR is On the field of the runway  - serves as IAF and miss-approach point

Terminal Approach - VOR is On the field of the runway  - serves as IAF and miss-approach point

Non-Terminal Approaches.  IAF Initial Approach Fix and Miss Approach

 Non-Terminal Approaches Miss Approach determine by distance or Time 

Outbound leg tracking a Radial Away from the VOR

Procedure Turn 

Tracking inbound leg radial to station

FAR 91.175 - Restrict operation of aircraft below DA/DH or MDA  when the visibility is less than each approach. - no pilot may operate an aircraft below the authorized MDA or continue an approach below the authorized DA/DH unless 

1. Aircraft is continuously in a position from which to descent to land on intend runway via normal rate of descent using normal maneuvers.

2. Flight visibility is not less than the visibility prescribed in stand instrument approach

3. Visual reference for intended runway is distinctly visible and identifiable to the pilot:

1. The approach light system, except that the pilot may not descend below 100 feet above the touchdown zone elevation using the approach lights as a reference unless the red terminating bars or the red side row bars are also distinctly visible and identifiable.
2. The threshold.
3. The threshold markings.
4. The threshold lights.
5. The runway end identifier lights.
6. The visual glideslope indicator.
7. The touchdown zone or touchdown zone markings.
8. The touchdown zone lights.
9. The runway or runway markings.
10. The runway lights.

  

 

Power reduced to 2000 RPM

Airspeed: 100 Knots

Rate of Descend: -500 feet per min

Power reduced to 2400 RPM

Airspeed: 100 Knots

Rate of Descend: 0 feet per min