Standard Range Approach

[dewarg]

I'll be giving a talk on "How pilots find runways in bad weather" to an amateur radio group. In 1966, on my first IFR flight test, I had to do a range approach. Would anyone have a CAP plate from that era?

[clunckdriver]

The NFB have a 1957 movie on file, made for the RCAF which should have everything you need, cant belive we managed to get down in real bad crud, in formation, at night, and find the runway! But then we were very young and brave, {or stupid, take your choice}

[604guy]

Hi G,

http://www.pprune.org/aviation-histo...dio-range.html

look at post #6. Perhaps if PB still has that chart he can fax or scan a copy to you.

regards
GM

[bcflyer]

I may be wrong but wasn't YCG (Castlegar) the last one in Canada? Perhaps someone has one of those old plates kicking around.

You might also want to post your question on Avcanada. There are a few oldtimers there that may have what you are looking for..

Good Luck!

[dewarg]

Range Approach

Thanks for the leads!

Back in 1966 when I did my first IFR ride I had to do a range approach. I remember hearing a story about a pilot coming to Goose Bay from an area where ranges had long since disappeared. He was cleared for the Standard Range Approach and replied "A Standard Range Approach, now what would that be".

[pigboat]

Here ya go. I had to do a lost orientation on one once, can't for the life of me remember the correct procedure. The last range was Castlegar or Williams Lake, where they had siting problems for the localizer, if I remember correctly. That chart's from 1971, and I seem to recall there were five left in Canada.

[dewarg]

Range.

Thanks Pigboat. I think to orientate yourself you first determined if you were in an "A" or "N" sector. You then turned to one of the bisector headings and checked for the volume to decrease or increase. This told you which sector you were in so you could do an 90° intercept of your desired leg.

[777AV8R]

Range Approach.....

The good ole days! Yes, Castlegar was the last airport to have it. I used to fly a PWA B737 into YCG and was ever so happy to have a good steady NDB approach to work with at a later time.

A nice bit of history!

[pigboat]

Dewarg, yeah that's it, 'twas fairly straightforward. I've only ever done a couple of practice approaches just for the hell of it, one of which was that one at Fort Chimo. For those that have read Fate Is The Hunter, that Fort Chimo approach is the one that McGuire did in the snow storm with the C-87 with two engines out on the same side.