Good places to practice Instrument Approaches

[FlyingForFun]

On an unrelated thread, tmmorris said:Full marks to Gloucester - there if you land and pay a landing fee, they don't charge for the IAPwhich got me wondering about other good places to do an instrument approach.

I'll start: Bournemouth - landing and handling fees can be a little steep, but there's no extra charge for the instrument approach.

Farnborough - they won't let you pre-book practice approaches, but once you're airborne, get a RIS service from them, listen out, and as long as they've got enough spare capacity and no arrivals/departures, they always seem happy to let you do a practice approach completely free of charge.

Any others?

FFF
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[RodgerF]

Southend have the same scheme as Gloucester. If you land and pay a landing fee the IAP is included.

[Fly Stimulator]

FFF,

Good idea to start this thread. Just to repeat what I suggested on the other one, Calais is a good spot for very cheap practice ILS and NDB approaches, plus it's not bad for lunch either.

Obviously with only a UK IMC one needs to do them in VMC with a safety pilot.

The Calais plates are online here (http://www.sia.aviation-civile.gouv.fr/aip/enligne/METROPOLE/AIP/IAC/Le%20contenu%20de%20IAC%20AD%202.LFAC.pdf)

The rest of the French ones are online too - just go to the SIA site (http://www.sia.aviation-civile.gouv.fr/default_uk.htm) and follow the AIP link.

[Circuit Basher]

I've been pax in a Partenavia P68 practing ILS approaches at Yeovilton and no fee was charged - not sure how military airfields as a whole treat practice approaches by GA.

[Evo]

Yeovil charged me a tenner for four or five IAPs - very good value :ok:

[Cusco]

We're a bit limited stuck out here in East Anglia:

Norwich let you pre book a training slot (GBP 18 for three approaches last time i went, just before Christmas.)

I didn't land, just did missed approaches: they were v. helpful on a saturday afternoon.

Slotted me in with a Brittania commercial without a blink.

Phoned to pay with credit card details on the Monday no sweat.

As previously stated Sarfend is also good value, but Cambridge is a bit pricey.

Cusco.

[tomcs]

When i did my IMC Filton was and excellent place to go...very cheap and you can see concorde on the go around!

Also I did and ILS into cardiff today and they weren't too bad either!

Another good one is Jersey and alderney. The fuel is unbelieveably cheap and the apps and landing fees are the same....and jersey aero club does some cracking food!

Tom

[FWA NATCA]

The best place for doing pratice approaches if you ever get on this side of the pond is FWA. We have two ILS's, one NDB, one Back Course, four GPS, and three VOR approaches. The best part is that we provide this service for FREE!

Are you guys Seriously charged in the UK for doing practice approaches?

Mike
NATCA FWA

[WorkingHard]

mike - over here in UK you are charged for anything someone thinks they can get away with. If Eurocontrol have their way we shall all be paying for every flight we make, even from private grass strip to private grass strip. The new generation transponders will enable automatic billing for flying.

[overclock]

Humberside are also very reasonable, £7 for 1 NDB, 1 ILS and a landing the last time I went in. Approx double that for a twin.

[Tinstaafl]

Find an aid that's OCTA, choose any approach that uses that type of navaid BUT make sure you add a suitable safety buffer for terrain to all of the approach plate's altitudes.

[S-Works]

good point tinstaafl, but there is still nothing like coming to the end of an approach and seeing a real runway off your nose!

[Charlie Zulu]

Hi FFF,

I tend to practice approaches at my home base Cardiff. We have 2xILS/DME, 2xNDB/DME,2xLOC/DME,2xSRA approaches. The hold for all approaches is based on the NDB on-field. Radar are very accommodating.

We get them free, inclusive of monthly parking fees, also all landings, approaches, go arounds are free regardless.

When I go stateside I practice wherever I want - because all approaches, landings, go-arounds etc are free all over the states!

Best wishes,

Charlie Zulu.

[Chilli Monster]

CZ

But how much do they charge if you're not based there - which I think is what people are after :cool:

[Charlie Zulu]

Very good point Chilli Monster and one I overlooked, oops! :O

Anyway the pricing schedule is located at:

http://www.cardiffairportonline.com/pdf/download/FeesCharges20032004.ppt

I would check it myself but my laptop doesn't have powerpoint installed whereas my desktop which is not where I am at the moment does...

As I'm based there I'm not really sure of the charges to other users but if you were to do a ton of approaches in a month then I'm sure you could arrange a "one off month" for a composite charge encompassing all.

Best wishes,

Charlie Zulu.

[FlyingForFun]

Tinstaafl,

Yes, that works for just about any non-precision approach. No use for practicing an ILS, though ;)

Actually, that was the technique my instructor used throughout my IMC training, which kept the price of the rating down quite a bit. Boy, was I in for a shock when I did my first "real" non-precision approach under foggles though. Descended to recommended MDH for IMC holders - which, remember, is considerably higher than the published MDH. Continued until shortly before the MAPt. Took the foggles off. Bl00dy hell, I'm very high, and very close to the threshold!!! Obvious result of using a higher MDH, of course, but because I'd never done a non-precision approach anywhere near a real runway until this point, I'd never even thought about it! I did manage to land off of the approach, but only because it was a nice long runway.

FFF
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[Tinstaafl]

Quite right. Off airport approaches don't provide the 'here I am, there's the runway' bit. Still damned useful for practice though.

FFF raised a good point about approaches: Where will the Rwy be when you get to the bottom AND also just because you're not yet at the MAPt doesn't mean you will be in a position from which you can land if you should become visual.

[TangoZulu]

Having done most of my training for IMC at Bournemouth I can recommend it as a good place to practice - plenty of variety and the usual ILS/DME on both runways as well as the on-field NDB for the hold and procedural approaches.

Not sure however, how much it is.

Question:
How does one know when you are charged for an instrument approach (apart from the obvious answer of look on the bill). I flew to Cardiff recently and requested and was given vectors to the ILS. Having been handled by Execair and relieved of a reasonable sum, I am not sure whether I therefore paid for the ILs approach as well, or if this does not apply, unless you fly the full procedure, rather than just receiving vectors to the ILS from the controller?

Thanks

TZ

[tmmorris]

Also, how do they charge you if you request an approach for visual transit to another nearby airfield? Invoice to registered owner?

Tim