Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
  • Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
  • Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
  • Share the passion for aviation
  • Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun

Approach Question

Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
  • Invite your friends
  • Share the passion of aviation
  • Friendliest aviation community on the web

EatSleepFly

Well-known member
Joined
May 18, 2003
Posts
648
LDA/GS Runway 6 @ ROA

This LDA approach has a Glide Slope, and thus a Decision Altitude, and is considered a "precision approach."

My question is in regards to 135 Ops Specs. Ours list only ILS and ILS-DME as approved Precision Approaches. LDA is approved, but as a non-precision approach.

Does that mean it's not legal for me to shoot this particular approach using the glide slope?

Hypothetically speaking of course, the weather is 500' overcast but good vis. and the LDA/GS 6 is in use. The ILS to the other runway is out of service. What would you do?

Thanks
 
sooo....it's a "non precision" approach with a 500' "MDA"...

I thought the only "precision" approaches in the Instrument Procedures Handbook (been a while since I'm doing lots of private students) were ILS, MLS and PAR....Thought the LDA/GS was still considered "non precision"...

If'n I'm wrong (and I could be) about the precision/non precision thing, then I'd say you couldn't shoot the approach since its not in the Ops Specs. You'd have to take it to "non precision minimums" and...at 500' cielings...most likely go missed....assuming you had the vis so you could even start the approach.

-mini

PS
Just a guess
 
Goin WAY back in the memory banks on this one.

LDA is the same thing as a LOC, same course width, sensitivity etc, the big difference being it usually doesnt line you up with the runway hence Localizer Directional AID (LDA).


Anything that provides horizontal and vertical guidance is a precision approach, ILS, PAR, MLS, LDA GS, LOC BC GS, etc. As far as your ops specs go thats a good one, it was prolly written with assumption that all precision approaches you would encounter would be the garden variety kind, ILS, PAR, etc. You would have to get clarification from your POI (if you have one, unfamiliar with 135 ops) or your DO/CP.
 
Technically you would not be able to fly that approach without ammending your op specs to include that approach.
 
For information only...this is strictly from my company's perspective, which is a 121 carrier.

But our Ops Spec that deals with Basic Instrument Approach Authorization (C052) lists 3 categories of approaches:

"Precision Approach Procedures (ILS, MLS and GLS)"
and 2 categories of "Instrument Approach Procedures (Other Than ILS, MLS and GLS)":
"Non-Precision Approaches Without Vertical Guidance" and
"Precision-Like Approaches With Vertical Guidance"

The LDA w/Glide Slope (along with the LDA and LDA/DME) is listed under this last category.

The only things listed under the straight "Precision Approach" category are ILS, ILS/DME and ILS/PRM (we do not have authorization to conduct PAR approaches, so that is not listed in our Ops Specs).

Again, these are our company authorizations, and we operate under Part 121...but as far as Ops Specs go, they are pretty much generic. So, according to the Ops Specs, an LDA w/Glide Slope (among others) is listed as a "Precision-Like Approach", a separate category altogether from precision (or non-precision for that matter) approaches.
 
Last edited:

Latest resources

Back
Top