Airfields with radar usually radar vector, and are not so keen on pilots flying the procedure (but are ok with it if not busy).
Airfields without radar are procedural.
Then you get odd ones which insist on radar unless the radar unit is not functional e.g. like Biggin (Thames Radar) and Oxford (Brize Radar). I have been refused procedural approaches at these (not recently though) because I didn't read the note on the plate saying the procedural option is available only if radar is not I imagine these places pay a lot of £££ as an annual flat rate fee to the radar unit's company and want to get their money's worth.
Around Europe, most places are radar vectored especially if they have an ILS.
I've never been refused but it has been suggested in a round about sort of way that I take another option - the last time was last weekend when i was told I could have vectors but I would be no. 8!! (because of traffic from a certain international airshow). Thus, i descended below cloud base for a visual approach and subsequently orbited for about 15-20 minutes waiting for a gap. [note to self : don't expect quick arrival during international arrival airshow weekend].
Last edited by VMC-on-top; 29th Jul 2010 at 07:58.
You probably need to do a bit more practising. At smaller airfields procedural approaches are relatively common and if there is other traffic you may well wind up in a hold, which is pretty similar to the typical procedure.
If a procedural ILS is going to be 'A bit to much' then a procedural VOR or NDB approach is going to be a real problem.
The ILS procedures are normally fairly straight forward - like DCT the Outer marker and take up a hold (which does happen on occasion) then an outbound leg, base turn, intercept the localiser, descend on the glide path. It should be well within the comfort zone.
I hate it when Eygiptian ATC offer radar to the ILS it is usualy CAVOK and you know that they will take you around all four corners of the control zone.
Around Europe, most places are radar vectored especially if they have an ILS.
What parts of Europe? as i have always found more procedural in Europe especially Spain and far more vectored in the UK. I would also add that i have a far greater trust in ATC in the UK than in some European Couintries. Again in Spain I was given a descent clearance in IMC below the SSA Over France never understand their intersection points and have to get a lot spelt if you can get a word in between the discussions in french on everything but flying
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I hate it when Eygiptian ATC offer radar to the ILS it is usualy CAVOK and you know that they will take you around all four corners of the control zone.
Use ATC as your servant not your master. Tell them you are good visual and ask for vectors to visual with The the runway or a tight ILS.
The Spanish seem to be known for vectoring below MSA, or even below the ground
Anyway, here are a few related questions:
1) You are on a vector, not "cleared for the XXX approach" and the localiser (for the current runway) is approaching. Should you intercept it?
2) You are on a vector, "cleared for the XXX approach" and the localiser (for the current runway) is approaching. Should you intercept it?
3) (UK situation) You are on a vector, not "cleared for the XXX approach" (the UK doesn't use that phrase when vectoring to an ILS) and the localiser (for the current runway) is approaching. The last vector did not mention "base" or "base leg". Should you intercept it?
The Spanish seem to be known for vectoring below MSA, or even below the ground
Anyway, here are a few related questions:
1) You are on a vector, not "cleared for the XXX approach" and the localiser (for the current runway) is approaching. Should you intercept it?
No, but make an 'Approaching localiser' call
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2) You are on a vector, "cleared for the XXX approach" and the localiser (for the current runway) is approaching. Should you intercept it?
Yes. In everywhere but the UK you are cleared to follow the horizontal and vertical profile of the approach. In the UK, if it is an ILS, you are cleared to follow the horizontal profile. But will get a 'cleared to descend on the glide path' (not sure if I got the phrasing exactly right)
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3) (UK situation) You are on a vector, not "cleared for the XXX approach" (the UK doesn't use that phrase when vectoring to an ILS) and the localiser (for the current runway) is approaching. The last vector did not mention "base" or "base leg". Should you intercept it?
Use ATC as your servant not your master. Tell them you are good visual and ask for vectors to visual with The the runway or a tight ILS.
I totaly agree in theory but it will not work in practice south of the Med except in west Africa where ATC will just agree to let you do anything you like without regard to other traffic!
The point is that in Case 1 if you cannot get the clearance to intercept (can't get the radio call in, etc) then you cannot intercept.
BTW
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In everywhere but the UK you are cleared to follow the horizontal and vertical profile of the approach. In the UK, if it is an ILS, you are cleared to follow the horizontal profile
is not quite right, AIUI.
If you are told "cleared for the approach" then you are cleared to immediately descend to the platform altitude and fly the approach as published. This is true worldwide, including the UK. (You still need the landing clearance).
Presumably the controller has to be sure you are within his radar vectoring area, and within the part of it which is at the platform altitude, before speaking the "cleared for the approach" phrase, because the moment he says it, you are entitled to plummet to 2000ft AGL or whatever But because he is no longer vectoring you, he is no longer responsible for your obstacle clearance.
This is why UK radar ATC no longer use the "cleared for the approach" phrase - they don't like the idea of pilots "doing their own thing" i.e. descending to the platform altitude. I read this explanation in a CAA brochure lying on the coffee table at CAA at Gatwick while waiting for my Class 1, so it has to be right
What you get here in the UK are explicit descent instructions, all the way down to the platform, and then a "turn left/right, base leg" and then you report "localiser established". What happens after that tends to be "[descend with the glideslope] contact Tower XXX.XX" where the [] seems optional.
I'm based at an airfield with procedures, but no radar, and no controlled airspace. It never ceases to amaze me to see half a dozen TCAS contacts flying through the published FAT, not talking to the ATC unit controlling the airfield. A couple of times I've asked to delay the procedure until those contacts have passed.
Back to the point of the thread, depending on the direction you are approaching the airfield from it is often just as quick to fly the procedure as it is to accept vectors, and ATC are well aware of that.
"Cleared for the ILS approach rwy xx" is a procedural clearance, ie to the initial approach fix, round the procedure and onto the ILS with no vectors - pilot nav all the wy round. The nature of the ATC unit (procedural or radar) is irrelevant.
With radar vectors to the ILS you get descent instructions and headings all the way to a closing heading (closing the localiser from the l/r, x miles to touchdown), an instuction to report loc established, and clearance to descend with the glidepath.
To argue a fine point it will also depend on local rules whether you can intercept the localiser and start an approach even if not cleared by ATC. CDG is one example where buried deep in the text portion of the Jeppesen booklet is a little ditty which tells you to lock on when given an intercept heading within 70 degrees of the front course of the localiser. This is of course for safety purposes with parallel approaches in force.
Similarly at Amsterdam with multiple runways and independent parallel approaches being the norm I wouldn't be going through a localiser and hitting someone on the other side but locking on regardless of whether I had been cleared for the localiser/approach.
1) You are on a vector, not "cleared for the XXX approach" and the localiser (for the current runway) is approaching. Should you intercept it?
Just as a side note, in the USA (where I have most IFR experience) it is actually illegal for ATC to vector you through the localiser without telling you that you will pass through it.
Happened to me before though, poor old ATCO was completely overloaded. In the end he just through up his hands and said to all of "us"......."look guys you've got to help me out there".....
This is why UK radar ATC no longer use the "cleared for the approach" phrase - they don't like the idea of pilots "doing their own thing" i.e. descending to the platform altitude. I read this explanation in a CAA brochure lying on the coffee table at CAA at Gatwick while waiting for my Class 1, so it has to be right
What you get here in the UK are explicit descent instructions, all the way down to the platform, and then a "turn left/right, base leg" and then you report "localiser established". What happens after that tends to be "[descend with the glideslope] contact Tower XXX.XX" where the [] seems optional.
Essentially correct but the main reason is most likely other traffic operating under the ILS.
Certainly where I work there is a myriad of stuff going on under the ILS and traffic descending at the wrong time to the 2,500ft IAP start altitude would be very embarrassing to all concerned.
There is phraseology that can be used whilst one is on the closing heading, prior to LOC intercept, to give conditional descent with the GP, "when established on the localiser, descend on the glidepath..." and it should be used whenever possible to avoid the late descent scenario.
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Just as a side note, in the USA (where I have most IFR experience) it is actually illegal for ATC to vector you through the localiser without telling you that you will pass through it.
You should also be told in the UK if you're being vectored through the LOC, along with the reason why.
Never been refused, although have been asked to hold and they fly me in a vectored box north of the airfield not below 3000 ft.
There is a published NDB hold and procedure over the EME and EMW at East Mids at 4DME. No way they would position a SEP their above holidaymakers coming down the ILS.
Phraseology on the clearance or non-clearance (eg hold) for the approach is immediate and heights and headings when cleared are standard and expected. Flew the ILS on Saturday last and pre-empted every height and heading change they gave.
We have had some late turns to close the localiser and have flown through it. No big deal at 100kts. Problems can arise when they turn you in close to 6 DME. You haven't finised descending the ATC instruction to descend to 2000 ft and are waiting for the localiser to make a move. Around 6 DME, the glide comes straight in and every bit of your skills are then taken in capturing both the localiser and glide at the same time.
I imagine these places pay a lot of £££ as an annual flat rate fee to the radar unit's company and want to get their money's worth.
