Tips for flying an Instrument Approach Procedure IAP
- When to Brief an Instrument Approach Plate?
- Before you're in the Air, during IFR flight planning and or preflight
- Check the forecasted winds at your destination airport and brief the IAP that you could expect at the airport
- In the Air
- Brief the IAP during your enroute phase, preferable before you began to descent
- ATC approach often will tell you what IAP to expect
- Request ATC approach for an approach and depending on winds and traffic flow at the airport that may give it to you
- Set you your avionics to ensure you are fully prepared prior to reaching the Initial Approach Fix (IAF) associated with the IAP
- Confirm you have the right approach procedure and that it is current before briefing it
- Check the notes to see if there is anything that would prohibit you from flying the approach
- Look at your inbound course and set it on your CDI or HSI
- Look at the LOC frequency, if on an ILS/LOC approach and enter it in your NAV radio and identify it
- Confirm the runway length and touchdown zone elevation, as well as runway lighting
- Make sure to put the GPS Avionics in the requisite VLOC or GPS mode for the HSI
- Review any step=down altitude
- Brief the glideslope intercept altitude for a precision approach to ensure a "false glideslope" is not inadvertently followed.
- Confirm the airport weather conditions meet visibility. / ceiling minima for the approach
- Review the DA Decision Altitude and MDA
- Review the FAF, MAP and VDP if there is one
- Review the Miss Approach Procedure
- Key Tasks to do before Starting an Instrument Approach Procedure
- Perform before Landing Checklist Prior to arriving at the Instrument Approach Course after:
- ATC gives you a clearance to an Initial Approach Fix or \\
- ATC give you vectors to intercept the Inbound Course
- Upon turning inbound on the Instrument Approach Course Maintain Altitude until the glideslope is on dot above center on the CDI
- Then configure the Aircraft for Landing, with 10deg of flaps and gear down, and reduce power to maintain glideslope and ensure a stable approach, as you cross the Final Approach Fix (FAF)
- Gear/Flaps should be down at glideslope intercept for a precision approach or by FAF for a non-Tips for a mon-precision approach
- Make increasingly minor heading, pitch and power changes as you descend down the glideslope and approach DA or MDA
- Heading changes should NOT be more that +/- 5 degrees , and even less when you near the runway centerline and the DA/MDA
- With ILS and LPV approaches, the lateral course sensitivity will continue to increase as you approach the runway
- Key Callouts at predetermined points at IAF
- "Localizer/course Alive" - when you turn inbound
- For ILS Callouts - "Glide slope alive" .. or ..
- For GPS LPV callouts "Glide Path Alive"
- For GPS approach, verify/callouts (LPV or LNAV/VNAV) on avionics
- For ILS verify/callouts ("no flags" and "on glideslope at glideslope intercept")
- Callouts as you approach minimums
- "1,000 feet to minimums"
- "500 feet to minimums"
- "200 feet to minimums"
- "100 feet to minimums"
- At DA or MDA: Callout
- "minimums, or "Landing" or "Going Missed"
- Landing or Going Missed on an IAP
- If Landing:
- slow to landing speed and continue inbound for a landing
- Only apply additional flaps if necessary to ensure stable approach all the way to touch down
- If going missed:
- After initiating the missed - pitch up, power up, gear up, flaps up , and activate missed procedure n the GPS avionics by un-suspending the flight plan
- Contact Tower or CTAF and report going missed
- Switch to ATC Approach and report you've gone missed and are flying the published missed.
- Await further instructions from ATC
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