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Old 30th December 2009 | 21:55
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eckhard
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Joined: May 2005
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From: France
Interesting question.

Firstly, if you are going to apply temperature correction to procedural altitudes, you must get agreement from ATC. You can accept or reject a clearance, but you can't adjust the cleared altitudes without telling anyone.

Once you are on final approach, you can add corrections if you wish, but bear in mind that these will be progressively smaller as you approach the airport. Even in your very chilly example, the correction would mean adding 36ft to a DH of 200ft. Step-down fixes further out from the field might require adjustment but once you are cleared for the approach you can cross these points at a higher-than-charted altitude. Holding and procedure turn 'platform' altitudes should be adjusted as well, but you had better tell ATC in case other traffic is departing/arriving/holding above you.

RNAV approaches normally have a lower OAT limit, below which temperature the use of baro VNAV is not approved. This is to ensure obstacle clearance on the 'GP' calculated by the VNAV element of the approach. In colder than standard conditions, the 'GP' will be shallower than published and vice-versa.

On an ILS, the glideslope signal is fixed in space, so you will always follow the published descent path, whatever the temperature. Of course, the altimeter may overread as you cross markers, DME checkpoints, etc, but you will be at the correct true altitude for your position on the glideslope.

The real problems with cold temperature correction occur before the final approach, when you are at significant altitudes above the airport. In your example (ISA dev -45) the error will be 180ft per 1000ft. Given an MSA or minimum holding altitude of 5000ft, I would want to add 1000ft to that in order to ensure obstacle clearance. ATC may apply temperature corrections to charted altitudes. If they don't, you are quite entitled to reject the cleared level and suggest an alternative higher one with which you would be happy. What you can't do is apply a correction without telling ATC, as this has obvious dangers vis-a-vis separation from other traffic.

Hope this helps.

Eck
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