No STARs, only IAPs: Is this normal?

[Bina 59]

I'm planning a short IFR flight from Kalispell (S27) to Missoula (KMSO). However, the only published charts I found for Missoula are IAPs, no terminal charts. 

Just out of curiosity - is this related to a size of an airport and/or its location relative to victor / jet airways?

 

Thanks!

[Bina 59]

Bump! Anyone?!

 

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[Captain Kevin 586]

Probably because the airspace isn't all that congested, so planes can go straight to where they need to go, whereas at larger airports, you may have multiple airports trying to use the same airspace.

[Manny 1,293]

 

 

I found for Missoula are IAPs, no terminal charts. 

 

Just check in AirNav.com

 

http://www.airnav.com/airport/KMSO

 

It does not have a STAR.. but it has two DPs

[DAL1850 51]

Yup. Not all airports with IAPs have STARS nor do all airports with STARS have IAPs (though it's pretty common).

[tttocs 301]

Just out of curiosity - is this related to a size of an airport and/or its location relative to victor / jet airways?

 

Sorry, didn't see your question. 

 

It's not directly related to the size of the airport, but rather the amount of traffic needing to route into a given area, and it's relatively common in this part of the world to have airports with IAPs and no STAR. 

 

So, for example, you may have STARs at smaller airports in high traffic areas near larger regional or hub airports, but none at a modestly large airport like KMSO or KBZN even though both feature a number of IAPs.  Note that transitions to the approach should still be fairly obvious if you look at the low-altitude IFR charts.  Note also that many airports like this will have SIDs to help with departure transitions which may be dicey due to terrain, even though there are no STARs. 

 

Scott

[DAL1850 51]

Sometimes smaller executive airports near congested traffic centers will have arrival/departure procedures to avoid incursions with the larger airports but are too small in and of themselves to have many (or any) approach plates.

 

That said, it's a good idea to check a couple sources before determining a procedure doesn't exist. Sometimes data (especially with the AIRAC cycles released for onboard FMC's) is either not current or is just flat out missing or wrong. Lots of resources online. I use airnav.com and skyvector.com quite a bit when flight planning (in or out of the cockpit). There are a half-dozen other sites or more too if you poke around including a few commercial ones.

[Mike777 163]

I use Flightaware.com for domestic airports.  It has plates for most or all of them.  Some airports certainly do not have STARs or SIDs, as others have explained.

 

Mike

[Dave_YVR 968]

 

 

nor do all airports with STARS have IAPs

 

 Err? A STAR with no IFR Approach, that doesn't make any sense.

[DAL1850 51]

Whoops. Meant DP not IAP.

 

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[Bina 59]

Thank you, gentlemen, that was helpful!!!

 

 

 

Note also that many airports like this will have SIDs to help with departure transitions which may be dicey due to terrain, even though there are no STARs.

 

Yes, I noticed that too. Scott, thanks for your detailed explanation!

[scottb613 1,187]

Not sure what you're flying but I've been having a blast lately flying GPS approaches into smaller airports - with the "new to me" RXP GNS430W in small GA planes.... With a decent autopilot - it even captures the artificial glide slope - amazing little price of software...

 

Regards,

Scott

[Brazen 5]

Whoops. Meant DP not IAP.

 

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Did you mean SID or DP? Take a look at KAJO. It has three STARs, no SIDs, but it does have (O)DPs.