The Instrument Trivia Thread

You could just wait for the Citation to call up and yell at you to close your flight plan, like I overheard yesterday while I was sitting on the ramp working on my plane with my handheld.... this Citation pilot with a classic southern accent scolded a CAP pilot for shooting practice approaches while filed. Of course it was clear and a million... but I'll give the Citation guy the benefit of the doubt and assume he was required to stay IFR all the way in, tehe.
 
And another: A lead radial gives at least how much lead in NM prior to the turn?

Are these really the questions you're dealing with in this course? More specifically, is it an Army helicopter instrument flying course?

I haven't flown the 60 forever, nor have I flown every instrument approach under the sun, but I have never and expect to continue never looking at lead radials while flying it. My freaking turn radius is .7 NM at 120KIAS...standard rate even! When the bearing pointer gets inside my heading bug (just my technique I carried over from flying NDB's), rate dependent, I turn. That simple.

My rant isn't against you Ian. I just get spun up when I hear about helicopter pilots talking about instrument procedures like they're the flippin re-entry procedures for the Space Shuttle.
 
Are these really the questions you're dealing with in this course? More specifically, is it an Army helicopter instrument flying course?

I haven't flown the 60 forever, nor have I flown every instrument approach under the sun, but I have never and expect to continue never looking at lead radials while flying it. My freaking turn radius is .7 NM at 120KIAS...standard rate even! When the bearing pointer gets inside my heading bug (just my technique I carried over from flying NDB's), rate dependent, I turn. That simple.

My rant isn't against you Ian. I just get spun up when I hear about helicopter pilots talking about instrument procedures like they're the flippin re-entry procedures for the Space Shuttle.

This is the Instrument Flight Examiner Course, and while this information is discussed, it really is just trivia. It is definitely not need to know info - more of a drill to get us in the pubs. Knowing full well the Army's affinity for trivia, I just thought I'd have some fun posting some of it here.

So about that lead radial question... ;)
 
Ah, I've got a good one (I think).

Only circling minimums are published for a specified instrument approach procedure. Why?

There are two criteria, one of which is kind of obvious, the other, perhaps not so much.
 
If visual contact is lost on a circling approach, what is the proper missed procedure?

Turn to runway heading and procede on missed approach procedure, I believe...

Does anyone read IFR Magazine? They usually pick an approach plate and ask bunch of questions about it and around some situational scenarios regarding that approach.
 
Ah, I've got a good one (I think).

Only circling minimums are published for a specified instrument approach procedure. Why?

There are two criteria, one of which is kind of obvious, the other, perhaps not so much.
More than 30 degrees off centerline or 400ft/NM descent profile

Turn to runway heading and procede on missed approach procedure, I believe...

Does anyone read IFR Magazine? They usually pick an approach plate and ask bunch of questions about it and around some situational scenarios regarding that approach.

Turn towards center of the airport, reestablish yourself on the final approach course, then do the missed, and pull the chute
 
Ah, I've got a good one (I think).

Only circling minimums are published for a specified instrument approach procedure. Why?

There are two criteria, one of which is kind of obvious, the other, perhaps not so much.

My guesses:
1. VOR-A/B/Blah, since it's not runway specific
2. LDA where final approach course exceeds 30° off runway heading
 
Yup, Ajax got it.

Even if the final approach course is within 30 degrees of the runway, only circling minimums will be published if descent gradient between the FAF and threshold exceeds 400 feet per NM.
 
Turn to runway heading and procede on missed approach procedure, I believe...

Does anyone read IFR Magazine? They usually pick an approach plate and ask bunch of questions about it and around some situational scenarios regarding that approach.
More than 30 degrees off centerline or 400ft/NM descent profile



Turn towards center of the airport, reestablish yourself on the final approach course, then do the missed, and pull the chute

Correct!
 

The lowest authorized ILS minimums, with all required ground and airborne systems components operative, are
• CAT I — Decision Height (DH) 200 feet and Runway Visual Range (RVR) 2,400 feet (with touchdown zone and centerline lighting, RVR 1800 feet),
• CAT II — DH 100 feet and RVR 1,200 feet,
• CAT IIIa — No DH or DH below 100 feet and RVR not less than 700 feet,
• CAT IIIb — No DH or DH below 50 feet and RVR less than 700 feet but not less than 150 feet, and
• CAT IIIc — No DH and no RVR limitation.​

Ref: FAA-H-8261-1A
 
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