Instruments

AIRSPACE • 2 Categories of Airspace o Regulatory o Non Regulatory • 4 Types of airspace within these 2 Categories o Controlled o Uncontrolled o Special Use o Other Airspace • Categories and types are dictated by o Complexity and density of A/C movements o Nature of the operation conducted within o Level of Safety required o National and public interest • Controlled airspace o A, B, C, D and E airspace. Air traffic control services is provided IFR and VFR flights IAW airspace classification • Class A o 18,000 msl – FL 600 o not charted • Class B o Generally Surface to 10,000 msl surrounding the nations busiest airports. o Designed to contain all published instrument approach procedures. o Entry Requirements unless otherwise authorized • Clearance prior to entering required • All IFR, VOR or TACAN • 2 way capable radio com • Transponder with Mode C o Mode C Veil • 30 NM surface to 10,000 msl • transponder with mode C • Class C o Usually surrounding those airports that have operational control tower, are serviced by a radar approach control and have certain # of IFR operations. o Individually Tailored A/S usually consist of • 5 NM surface to 4,000 feet above airport elevation • 10 NM 1,200 – 4,000 feet above airport elevation o Entry Requirements unless otherwise authorized • Communication established prior to entering required • 2 way capable radio • Transponder with Mode C o Outer Area • 20 NM lower part of Radio/Radar coverage to ceiling of approach controls delegated A/S • Class D o A/S, surrounding airports that have an operation control tower. Individually tailored and when inst approaches are published will normally be designed to contain the procedures. • Generally surface to 2,500 feet above airport elevation (charted in MSL) o Entry Requirements unless otherwise authorized • Communication established prior to entering required • 2 way capable radio • Class E o Generally that A/S that is not A, B, C or D and is controlled A/S. • Class E A/S begins at 14,500 up to but not including 18,000 feet MSL unless otherwise designated at a lower altitude, excludes A/S below 1,500 Feet AGL unless specifically so designated. • Except for 18,000 MSL E has no defined vertical limit. • Class E can be depicted to start at Surface, 700, 1200 and By Dashed blue lines which indicate the altitude. o Federal Airways will be class E A/S from 1,200 feet up to but not including 18,000 feet MSL. (colors are green, red, amber and blue) o Entry Requirements unless otherwise authorized • None • Class G o Uncontrolled not designated as A, B, C, D or E A/S. • Special Use Airspace o Prohibited o Restricted Areas o Warning Areas o Military Operations Areas o Alert Areas o Controlled Firing Areas • Other Airspace Areas o Military Training Routes • IFR and VFR o Temporary Flight Restrictions Area o Parachute Jump Aircraft Operations o Published VFR Routes o VFR Corridors o Class B A/S VFR Transition Routes o National Security Areas o TRSA AR 95-1 • Flight Weather Planning o Pilots will obtain departure, en-route, destination and alternate weather information before take-off. • Turbulence o A/C will not be intentionally flown into known or forecast extreme turbulence or into know severe turbulence. o A/C will not be intentionally flown into forecast severe turbulence unless MACOM commanders have established clearance procedures and ▪ Weather information is based on area forecasts ▪ Flights will be made in areas where encountering severe turbulence is unlikely ▪ Flights are for essential training or essential missions ▪ Flight approval authorities are specified ▪ Flights are terminated or depart turbulence if severe turbulence is encountered • Icing o A/C will not be flown into known or forecast severe icing conditions ▪ If a flight is to be made into known or forecast moderate icing conditions the A/C must be equipped with adequate operational deicing or anti-icing equipment • Thunderstorms o A/C will not be intentionally flown into thunderstorms • IFR Planning Weather o Destination weather must be forecast or equal to or greater than the published weather planning minimums for the approach procedure to be flown at ETA thru 1 hour after ETA. When there are intermittent weather conditions predominate weather will apply. o Aviators flying helicopters may reduce destination and alternate category A visibility minimums by 50% but not less than ¼ mile. o Copter only approaches may not be reduced. o IFR weather times will be voided 1 hour and 30 minutes after the time of forecast provided the A/C has not departed. o Weather should be updated on Stopover Flight Plans • Alternate Airfield Planning o An alternate airfield is required when filing IFR to a destination under any of the following conditions ▪ Radar is required ▪ Inst approach navigational aids to be used are unmonitored ▪ The predominant weather at the destination is forecast at ETA thru 1 hour after ETA to be less than • Ceiling 400 feet above weather planning minimum required for the approach to be flown • Visibility 1 mile greater that the planning minimum required for the approach to be flown o Alternate is not required if decent form en route minimum altitude for IFR operation, approach and landing can be made in VFR conditions. • Alternate Airfield Selection o An air airfield may be selected as an alternate when worst weather condition for that airfield is forecast for ETA through 1 hour after ETA to be equal or greater than ▪ Ceiling 400 feet above weather planning minimum required for the approach to be flown and visibility 1 mile greater that the planning minimum required for the approach to be flown ▪ VFR minimums and descent form en route minimum altitude for IFR operation, approach and landing can be made in VFR conditions o An Alternate will not be selected unless per the above when ▪ ANA ▪ Radar is required for the approach to be flown ▪ Instrument approach navigational aids to be used is unmonitored ▪ Class B, C, D, or E surface based airspace does not exist or is not in effect at the airport to be used ▪ If GPS is required for the approach • Cloud Clearance Airspace Visibility Distance from cloud o A N/A N/A o B 3 Clear of Clouds o C & D 3 500 Below 1,000 Above 2,000 Horizontal o E o < 10,000 3 500 Below 1,000 Above 2,000 Horizontal o >10,000 5 1,000 Below 1,000 Above 1 SM Horizontal o G o =1,200 & 1,200 & >10,000 5 1,000 Below 1,000 Above Types of Flight Plans / En-route Delays • Stop over Flight Plan o Stop over Flight plan is defined as a flight plan format which permits, in a single submission, the filing of a sequence of flight plans through interim full-stop destinations to a final destination. ▪ AR 95-2 • Stop over flight plans are subject to the following provisions o No change will be made in the PC. • The original manifest does not list passenger or crew changes at stopover points, changes will be filed with military installation base ops, FAA flight service, or other competent authority. • Composite Flight Plan o Composite Flight plan is defined as a flight plan which specifies VFR operation for one portion of flight and IFR for another portion. It is used primarily in the military operations. ▪ ETE VFR Including delays (Entoute) ▪ ETE IFR Not including delays (Enroute) • Enroute Delays o Terminal delay o Possible uses are Practice Approaches, Passenger drop off ect. ▪ CWF (Route of Flight) to empty 1+10 (ETE) ▪ ® D 0+20 CWF POE o Holding area delay ▪ Used for practice mostly ▪ CWF BALAD/D0+30 BAD ORB 1+00 • Bonus ▪ FIH Information • Lost Commo • If VMC remain VMC Squawk 7600 o Route ▪ Route last assigned in the last ATC clearance ▪ If under radar vectors, Direct route to the fix or airway being vectored to, or the airway specified in the vector clearance ▪ In the absence of an assigned route, the route that ATC has abscised my be expected in a further clearance ▪ In the absence of the above the route filed in the flight plan o Altitude Highest of the following ▪ Altitude or flight level assigned in the last ATC clearance received ▪ Minimum altitude for IFR operations ▪ The altitude or flight level ATC has advised may be expected in a further clearance o Leaving a Clearance limit ▪ From the Fix where the approach begins • As close to the expect further clearance time • As close to the expected time of arrival on filed or amended flight plan. ▪ From a clearance limit that is not a fix form which the approach to begin • At the expect further clearance time • If no EFC then upon arrival proceed to the fix form which the approach begins and commence descent or approach as close to filed or amended arrival time o Radar Approaches ▪ Criteria for lost commo • 1 min while being vectored to final • 15 sec while on a ASR • 5 sec while on a PAR final approach ▪ Attempt to contact on a secondary radio or frequency ▪ If unable to re-establish communications and unable to maintain VMC proceed with a published instrument approach procedure or previously coordinated instructions • Change Transponder ▪ Maintain last assigned altitude or MSA whichever is higher, until established on a published approach • Reporting o Non Radar Environment ▪ Initial contact: ID, position, altitude and time estimate for the next reporting point ▪ After initial and a position report is needed: ID, position, time, altitude, type of flight plan, ETA and name of next reporting point, name of next succeeding reporting point and remarks o Radar Environment ▪ Initial contact: ID, altitude (leaving for ect) • Position reporting Requirements o Along a airway or route Compulsory reporting points o On a direct route Over each reporting point used in the flight plan to define the route of flight ▪ Not required when in radar contact • At all times o When vacating a previously assigned altitude for newly assigned altitude o When an altitude change will be made if operating on a VFR on TOP o When unable to climb and descend at least at 500’ per min o Missed approach o Change in average true A/S when it varies by 5% or 10 knots (whichever is grater) from that filed in the flight plan. o Time and altitude or flight level upon reaching a holding fix or point which cleared to o When leaving a assigned holding fix or point o Any loss in controlled A/S of Approach Sys. o Any information Safety of flight • Reports When not in Radar Contact o Leaving the final approach fix inbound on final approach(non-precision) o Leaving the outer marker or fix used in lieu of outer maker inbound on final approach (precision) o Corrected estimate at anytime it becomes apparent estimate previously is in error in excess of 3 min. • Pilots are expected to report encountering weather conditions which have not been forecast, or hazardous conditions which have been forecast. Types of Approaches • Precision o ILS ▪ Consists of 3 functional parts • Guidance info o Localizer o Glide slope • Range info o Marker beacon, DME • Visual info o Approach lights, touchdown and centerline lights, runway lights. ▪ Glide Slope location 750 -1,250 from approach end of runway ▪ Localizer 250 – 650 feet from runway centerline (10 NM) • Beam is 1.4 degrees wide • Normally 3.0 degrees above horizontal o PAR (Preferential arrival routes in ARTCC computers) ▪ Is designed to be used as a landing aid, rather that an aid for sequencing and spacing aircraft. o MLS Microwave Landing System ▪ Provides precision navigational guidance for exact alignment and descent of aircraft ▪ MLS supplements ILS (ILS is protected at International Airports until 2010) • Non Precision o VOR o LOC ▪ Guidance information o NDB o ASR ▪ Designed to provide relatively short-range coverage in the general vicinity of an airport and to serve as an expeditious means of handling terminal area traffic through observation of precise aircraft lactations of a radarscope. o TACAN o LDA Localizer Type Directional Aid ▪ Comparable use and accuracy to a localizer but is not part of a complete ILS. ▪ More precise course that the simplified directional Facility installation. o SDF Simplified Directional Facility ▪ Provides a final approach course similar to that of the ILS Localizer. ▪ It provides no glide slop indication • Fixed signal at 6 or 12 degrees • Clearance for Approaches (i.e. Straight in Approach, Cleared Approach ect.) o Straight in approach (IFR) ▪ Final approach is begun without first having executed a procedure turn (not necessarily done with a straight in landing) o Straight in landing ▪ A landing made on a runway aligned within 30 degrees of the final approach course o Circle to land ▪ A maneuver made by the pilot to align the A/C with a runway for landing o Cleared option ▪ ATC authorization for a A/C to make a • Touch and go, Low approach, Missed approach, stop and go or full stop landing at the discretion of the pilot o Contact approach ▪ A/C on a IFR flight plan operating clear of clouds with at least 1 SM mile visibility and has a reasonable expectation to continue in those to destination airport may proceed under visual conditions to the airport ▪ May deviate from inst approach procedures ▪ Must be requested by the pilot and vis must be 1 SM at destination o Visual approach ▪ Conducted on IFR flight plan which authorizes the pilot to proceed visually and clear of clouds. ▪ Must have the airport or proceeding A/C I sight at all times ▪ Must be at least 1,000 and 3 miles or greater General Information Common Terms and Definitions • Approach Plates • Victor Airways o Dimensions ▪ 4 NM ▪ Pilots are excpected to initiate turns early to remain on course • VOR Types o T 1,000 AGL up to and including 12,000 25 NM o L 1,000 AGL up to and including 18,000 40 NM o H 1,000 AGL up to and including 14,500 40 NM 14,500 AGL up to and including 60,000 100 NM 18,000 AGL up to and including 45,000 130 NM • NDB Types o Compass locator 15 NM o MH 25 NM o H 50 NM o HH 75 NM General Weather • Types of Forecasts o Terminal Forecast ▪ Categorical outlooks describing ceiling and vis • LIFR