AIRPORTS WITH AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER
---Towers are responsible for the safe, orderly and expeditious flow of all traffic at the airport
---Prior to an IFR departure the tower coordinates with departure to assure traffic spacing

AIRPORTS WITHOUT AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER
---Monitor the CTAF any time you are within 10NM of airport
---Aircraft are expected to self-announce their activity as though in VFR
---Initial arrival call should by at least 10 minutes out
---Departure call from Initial Approach Fix should be made and clarified for the non-IFR pilots
---Any procedure turn inbound should be called and clarified for the non-IFR pilots
---Final Approach Fix (FAF) inbound and landing runway and turn direction if circling (left)
---Canceling must be done either in the air only if VFR is possible through landing
---Short final call made to warn air and ground traffic
---Canceling by Remote Communications Outlets (RCOs ) or Ground Communications Outlets (GCOs)
---Last resort is to call Flight Service Station (FSS) by phone or relay by radio through another aircraft

PRIMARY NAVAID
---If a primary navaid is used for the approach it and its frequency should be included in the briefing
---Flight Management Systems and GPS both require transitional changes from en route to approach
---Planning and knowing when transitions occur separates going where you aim and being lost

COURSES
---When cleared for the approach having feeder (off-airway) routes they are part of the clearance
---When cleared the pilot is expected to fly the feeder and begin the approach at the IAF
---Pilot may request direct to IAF instead of the feeder any uncertainty should be queried
---Any unusable feature of an approach should be identified as inoperative or unreliable

AREA NAVIGATION COURSES
---RNAV (GPS) have onboard capability to fly either manually or coupled (autopilot)
---Database coding directs navigation using waypoint (WP) sequencing
Waypoints
---A fly-by (FB) waypoint requires turn anticipation to avoid overshooting the next flight segment
---A fly-over (FO) waypoint require reaching waypoint and flying intercept heading or direct to next.
---Most approach waypoints are fly-by waypoints
---Missed approach waypoint (MAWP) and Missed approach holding waypoint (MAHWP) are FBs
---The same waypoint may be FB WP for the IAF and a FO WP for the missed approach procedure

ALTITUDES
---May be minimum, maximum, recommended or mandatory ___
---Minimums are underscored, maximums are over-scored, mandatory is both, recommended no lines
---When a depicted altitude is specified by ATC clearance it becomes mandatory

MINIMUM SAFE ALTITUDE
---Minimum Safe Altitudes are charted as emergency altitudes on IAP charts based on primary navaid
---RNAVs use runway waypoint (RWY WP) or Missed Approach waypoint (MAWP) for straight-in
---RNAV circling only approaches use the Airport Waypoint (APT WP)
---RNAV (GPS) approaches in Terminal Arrival Areas (TAAs) have MSA based on IAF waypoint
---MSAs are in feet above MSL are charted as single sector altitude on plan view of charts
---Sectors spreads at least 90-degrees and 1000 feet above all obstructions but signal may be missing
---With usually 25 NM radius
---Single sector altitude is depicted on plan view of approach charts

FINAL APPROACH FIX ALTITUDE
---The Final Approach Fix (FAF) or + (Maltese Cross) altitude on non-precision or lightning bolt the glide slope intercept on precision approaches is critical to the success of an approach
--Factors are airspeed, altitude, and configuration on crossing the FAF is critical to both precision and non precision approaches
---The glide slope intercept altitude is critical to determining the accuracy of the altimeter
---This altitude verification at the FAF confirms than any one of several false glide slopes are not used
---The callout of the FAF and altitude should be a part of every approach

MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE, DECISION ALTITUDE, AND DECISION HEIGHT
---Decision Altitude (DA) is used by RNAV with vertical descent guidance
---DA will replace Decision Height (DH) in category 1 precision approaches
---Minimum Descent Altitudes (MDA) and Decision Altitudes (DA)s are referenced to MSL
---CAT II and III are radar altimeter AGL
---Height Above Touchdown (HAT) CAT I is 200 feet above Touchdown Zone Elevation (TDZE)
---Obstacle Clearance Surfaces (OCS) may require 250' or more
---Briefing must determine which of the minimums is used, MDA, DA or DH
---Issues that affect minimums are approach category, equipment not working, crew qualifications etc.
---Usually the published minimums of visibility and MDAs apply
---Special Aircraft and Aircrew Requirements (SAAR) may lower all minimums

VERTICAL NAVIGATION
---RNAV can let flight crews to have generated descent paths giving a constant-rate of descent
---Pilot and Aircraft must be flight checked and certified for use of VNAV inside the FAF
---VNAV info must be part of the IAP briefing using two fixes the FAF and runway threshold
---A FAF crossing altitude, a fixed descent angle and Visual Descent Point may be charted
---Illusions are avoided using constant-rate of descent and electronic glide slope

WIDE AREA AUGMENTATION SYSTEM
---Combinations of methods of VNAV and LNAV have improved precision and ease of performance
---Wide Area Augmentation System as of July 2003 has provided improved minimums and accuracy
---WAAS uses ground stations and enhanced integrity for minimums of 250' and ½ NM visibility
---WAAS requires airport improvements, obstacle removal not dependent on barometric altimeter
---RNAV (GPS) charts can have four lines of minimums depending on what is used
---Global Navigation Satellite System {GNSS} Landing System (GLS)
---LPG is Approach with Vertical Guidance is improved replacement for GLS
---LPV ---APV use WAAS to give vertical guidance; LPV is term for WAAS approaches
---Each WAAS chart has its channel number and approach indicator (See AIM)
---LNAV/VNAV=APV minimums are shown as DAs using electronic glidepath
---;MAV minimums are shown as MDAs done without vertical guidance
---Circling minimums are used with approach approved RNAV where straight-in are not possible

RNAV APPROACH AUTHORIZATION
---There are many levels of authorizations in use of RNAV approach systems
---Use authorized according to installed, redundancy and training,
---Briefings of Terminal Arrival Area (TAA) has boundaries and minimum instrument altitudes (MIAs)
---TAA altitudes are used instead of MSAs on the charts
---Baro-VNAV gives vertical guidance to Vertical Path Angle (VPA) used. This has temperature limits
---Baro-VNAV may be used down to published LNAV MDA
---The lowest level of sensors allowed for Required Navigation Performance DME/DME is 0.3

AIRPORT/RUNWAY INFORMATION
---Airport/runway environment is always a part of an approach briefing
---Data includes runway orientation, length, surface, braking and exit taxiway routes
---Approach charts have diagrams and latitude/longitude of parking spaces

INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURE BRIEFING
---Quality of briefing affects quality of arrival
---First decision is made in selecting likely approach for weather, direction NOTAMs and experience
---Pilot should ask ATC what to expect or make a request

NAVIGATION AND COMMUNICATION RADIOS
---In addition to the approach briefing the navigational and communications radios require briefing
---The set-up for approach includes airspeed , heading and altitude bugs
---Don't forget the ADF

FLIGHT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
---Aircraft systems specific computerized flight data systems using programmed altitudes and routes

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