quick approach question

[Rumrunner]

I'm trying to keep my instrument skills sharp by flying different approaches on MS Flt sim 2000. I've been trying to fly the more difficult/complex approaches but I'ld like to find a few more. I have access to AOPA members section so I can print the approach plate, but I just needed a few suggestions on which ones are tougher. (ie.. many step-down fixes) Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Dan CFI/CFII]

Katmandu, Nepal. There are a LOT of stepdown fixes there.

Socorro, NM (ONM). Not that it has many stepdowns or anything, but that VOR approach relies on more than the VOR...

Most any real big airport has a lot of stepdown as well, ORD has a lot if memory serves.

Dan

 

[snoopy_1]

you don't need aopa access to get approach charts, get'em free here
http://edj.net/cgi-bin/echoplate.pl

 

[ipilot]

hey snoop
the links r really great. do u know any site which gives u procedures for international airports. thanks....



__________________________
Check that its three greens.........

 

[brew3departure]

Nifty approaches...

Hey there,

I'll second someone who already said ORD - stepdowns from 7000 on down, if memory serves.

If you're doing DP's/STAR's - try LaGuardia (LGA) or Kennedy (JFK) in NYC - the missed approach procedures, especially - are tough.

If you're looking for "gotcha's" on interviews and the like, Madison WI (MSN) has some strange ones...

Have fun!

Hope this helps,
-brew3

 

[avbug]

Try the full approach and missed proceedure out of Aspen. (ASE).

 

[F4U]

Practice Departures as Well

This isn't exactly what you asked, and you may already do this, but I thought I would throw it in a reminder for anyone who doesn't do it or didn't know to.

When you are practicing, don't forget to practice departures as well.

One of the weaknesses I have seen flying with other pilots is they forget to brief on any obstacle DP's for a specific runway.

When you are departing from an airport in IMC and there is no SID. Don't forget to look at the take-off & obstacle departure procedure on the airport diagram and see if there are any specific instructions for departing a specific runway during IMC and include this in your takeoff brief.

Example Macon, GA KMCN. Departure DP Rwy 5, right turn climb to 1400' via heading 090 before proceeding on course. Rwy 31, climb runway heading to 700' before turning.

 

[tarp]

I second F4U. Sometimes it's not the approach but the missed approach instructions or the DP that gets you - some of these are very complicated. Add in an engine failure on a twin and you've got a hand full.

Here's my list of hard approaches:

The monster of the east - anything at ROA but especially the LDA.

A subtle little killer - Clearview, MD (2W2) in anything faster than a C-172 - go ahead, fly over the VOR, get your needle re-established and get to altitude.

Any NDB approach where the NDB is not on the field and you have to cross over and re-establish. York, PA used to be a pain until they relocated the NDB onto the field. Winchester, VA (OKV) still has the NDB off site, but its fairly easy. Try it with wind set at 250 at 20 knots and see how easy it is to fly! (By the way, I'm talking about flying the NDB needle, none of this pansy flying a GPS overlay stuff!) LWB, WV has one too!

 

[bluestuck]

A great one out west is the NDB 17 (i believe) in Tacoma. NDB is off field, on an island about 7 miles away and the airport is on a cliff above puget sound. If you can get within 1/2 mile of the airport witht he needles centered, you are a stud. A bud was taking a FAA 135 ride, and the examiner freaked out at how bad the approach was to follow...

 

[seattle]

I'd like to second the comments about the TIW NDB approach (it's actually to runway 35). I don't think MicroSoft simulates the lovely shoreline affects or an active Rainier MOA at the end of the PT. At least the final approach coarse is established during the PT.

The missed approach procedure for the ILS RWY 17 on the north side of TIW is a charmer as well.

I had to do both of these gems for my checkride. Thanks for listening to my rant.

Seattle

 

[C172Heavy]

I don't know if you are looking for DP's also, but there is one out of Medford, Oregon (KMFR) that is pretty good. It has a direct to NDB then outbound on the 45 deg bearing to intercept a DME arc, then fly the arc around to intercept a VOR radial.

It's a pretty good one for practice.

Have fun!

 

[ILLINI]

These were always my favorites as an instructor:

Try the VOR or GPS-A at Fort Atkinson (61C) Wisconsin by using only the VOR and ADF (ie. without the GPS or DME). I used to give this one to my "cocky" instrument students all the time. It usually did its job and let them know that they didn't know it all! If I remember, there was another airport in WI with an approach like this but I can't remember the name.

Morristown (MMU) NJ has a pretty good NDB approach to runway 5. The NDB is 3.2 miles off field and the approach course bends 15 degrees after crossing the NDB. I had to do this one down to mins one night because the ILS was down. It was challenging, but lots of fun!

Woodward (WWR) OK has a VOR/DME-A that is a little different. If you fly the 7 DME arc to the final approach course you actually fly away from the VOR. This really isn't hard or anything, but I used it as an example to show that every rule has an exception. I used to teach to turn the OBS knob in the same direction you were arcing. For example if you were arcing clockwise, you would turn the OBS knob clockwise as well. This makes it easier to join the FAC w/o twisting the OBS 180 degrees. The exception is when the final approach course is flown away from the VOR as in the case at Woodward.

Have fun!

 

[ksu_aviator]

A really good airport for multiple approaches is Alton Il (ALN). They have every type of approach there from ILS, LOC BC, VOR, NDB (on and off the field) and GPS. But if you just want hard ASE is good so is SJT VOR, you have to get down quick and even though its straight in you have about a 25 deg turn to final.

 

[AWACoff]

Try Rhinelander, WI as well. And for a fun one, there is an approach in Kansas or somewhere around there with the fixes
SPICY BARBQ RIBBS.

 

[ILLINI]

Speaking of funny names for fixes there is one out east, I think maybe in NH or another state nearby. There were a series of fixes that when read out loud read: "I tawt a taw a puddy tat....". The spelling might be wrong, but you get the idea. Does anyone know which airport and approach this is? I'd love to take another look at it!

 

[pa34driver]

Medford (MFR) is great for the dp! Try doing the NDB at Kelso (KLS) washington. It has a turn at the FAF, it can be tricky. There is a VOR approach at YKM that has a turn at the FAF also.

 

[bigD]

Illini,

You're looking for Portsmouth, NH (PSM) - the GPS 16 approach. Pretty funny!

 

[brew3departure]

Spicy...barbq...ribbs

Ah yes - if memory serves, spicy, barbq, ribbs can be had at KMCI - Kansas City International I think it's the ILS 1L?

Another great one along those lines, and also good for practice are the approaches into McCarron - Las Vegas. Once again, if memory serves, they have the Newton x arrival - with fixes ISAAC, WAYNE, etc etc...

Pretty funny.

-Brew3

 

[seattle]

Who would have thought that anybody working for the fed would have a sence of humor.

Who names intersections, waypoints, lom's ...... anyway? Is there any ryme of reason to it?

 

[1900laker]

Not a difficult approach,

But the VOR Arc approach into Martin State MD is one of the only arcing approaches I've seen. When I say arc, I don't mean fly an arc and intercept a final off the arc. The ARC is the final. Uses BAL VOR I think (the one located at BWI) and you fly the DME ARC, using radials for stepdown. Take a look if you haven't seen one like that. Cya