Instrument approaches for a dunce

[Low Fidelity]

Hi all,

Sorry if this is a tad tedious, but I’m trying to understand how to read instrument approach charts :ugh: , specifically how to string STARs and approaches together (you can probably guess I’m not an instrument pilot, but very interested!).

I’ve taken Manchester (UK) as an example, and I’m looking at the charts available on the AIS website (www.ais.org.uk).

Now I understand that initially you would follow a STAR to get somewhere near your intended destination. Does the STAR commence at an airway or do you have a period of navigation from leaving the airway to joining the STAR?

Let’s say for example you were coming in from the west. You would probably be allocated a MIRSI STAR that would eventually dump you at the MIRSI waypoint. All good so far!

However what happens next? :confused: I’m guessing you would be looking for an instrument approach to whatever runway was active, but looking at the approach charts they all seem to commence from the overhead. So what happens when you reach MIRSI?
Are you given some sort of transition to the overhead to commence the approach?

This routing seems long and inefficient to me so I assume I’m interpreting the charts wrongly. Would you instead be vectored from MIRSI onto the ILS via some curved route? Also, is a MIRSI STAR suitable for any runway configuration at Manchester?

If anybody could talk (or type) me through what would actually happen I would be very grateful.

Many thanks :ok:

Low Fi

[BOAC]

Normally radar vectored from MIRSI. Only in the event of a total radar failure would you expect to route via the overhead ('procedural' approach). A lot of charts will show the approach FROM the arrival point as well as the 'procedural'. One hopes that the only time you do one of those is on your initial IR or under a particularly nasty sim instructor.:)

[Capt Claret]

Low Fidelity

An Oz perspective for you.

Some of our stars have transitions where several different waypoints will feed several airways into a common waypoint on the STAR and then continue to a waypoint from where either; an instrument approach will commence, or the aircraft can complete a visual approach.

Some STARS have no transition as there is only one airway feeding the STAR.

Not all airways have star waypoints on them. With these, when cleared for the STAR one is usually cleared to "track from present position direct to [waypoint], make [STAR], [xxx] transition, maintain/descend [flight level]".

[AerocatS2A]

I don't seem to be able to look at the Manchester charts without subscribing.
From my experience in Australia, many/most instrument approach procedures have both an initial approach fix overhead the aerodrome and an initial approach fix on long finals, so you can generally get vectors or direct tracking from the end of the STAR to the straight-in initial approach fix. (Approaches normally must commence from an initial approach fix.)

As an example, the AUDLY ONE ARRIVAL at Sydney is a STAR who's last two waypoints, "SOSIJ" and "SIZZL", take you to a final approach for the ILS. i.e., waypoint SIZZL is on a 10nm final.

Another example is the CALGA SIX ARRIVAL at Sydney which terminates at LANOL, 20nm from the aerodrome. The plate then notes that you can "EXPECT RADAR vectors to final approach course."

[Intruder]

Does the STAR commence at an airway or do you have a period of navigation from leaving the airway to joining the STAR?
There are differences among airports, and even differences among specific STARs at the same airport. However:

- Most STARs begin at a waypoint that is on a commonly used airway near the airport. If your flight plan does not include one of the waypoints that begin a STAR for the airport, it is a simple matter of filing and flying a DIRECT leg from a convenient nearby waypoint.

- STARs commonly end either with an "Expect Radar vectors..." note at the endpoint, or end at a waypoint that is an initial approach fix or transition fix for an approach to the airport.

In the best case, you can plan, file, and fly a SID, route, STAR, and approach seamlessly (though it seldom works out that way in reality).

[OzExpat]

I'm guessing that LF needs a uniquely UK response to this. I'm not qualified to give that but, in discussion with a UK ATCO on another forum, I was given to understand that, in the UK, a STAR will terminate at a holding fix rather than an IAF - to cater for the possibility of R/T failure.

Given that scenario, I suspect that the real answer here is that in the normal course of events, ATC would provide radar vectors from a point prior to the end of the STAR? Perhaps a UK ATCO can clarify this situation?

[Piltdown Man]

I understand the question, because I used to ask myself the same questions. In reality, you will be vectored. However, the track you should take in the event of a radio or radar failure is described in the textual notes which you may not have read yet. Here they say you simply track from MIRSI, DAYNE etc. following descent path X to MCT and then carry out the procedure as depicted on the approach chart. Simple, n'est pas?

PM

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

When I sat on top of the blue tower, the STAR hadn't been born and SID was just a lad. On that basis, no comments offered. For those interested, though, an interesting read is;

http://www.vatsim-uk.org/regions/northern/index.php?page=egcc