Uncontrolled Airport Question

[Mike Berger 4]

I was using RC4 to fly IFR between uncontrolled airports. The destination airport had no tower or approach.

 

When I was 4 miles out and at 5000ft, Center told me where I was and said something like "what'll it be...".

My options were: missed approach, IAP, Visual.

 

I was in IMC, so I couldn't choose visual. The airport had no instrument approaches, so I couldn't choose IAP. I chose missed approach, but that didn't help - I think my choices then were Hold or IAP.

 

I finally chose IAP and used the GPS to not hit mountains while I descended below the clouds.

 

So, did I miss an option for center to vector me in? Or is that kind of thing not done? (I'm not a pilot and have no idea). Perhaps I'd need to divert to a controlled airport in the real world?

 

 

BR,

Mike

[ronzie 21]

You need to file an IFR plan with at least one roughly midway waypoint. You are in IMC anyway and IFR is required.

 

Since there is no approach radar Center should guide you to roughly line up with the airport. In reality, if the airport is in IMC, you can't land without some kind of instrument published procedure based on at least a nearby VOR or even GPS if the airport is above minimums (for landing visibility below a minimum altitude and forward visibility) for that procedure. In this case choose an IAP and follow the charts.

 

http://flightaware.com/resources/airport/Y49/IAP/RNAV+%28GPS%29+RWY+33

http://flightaware.com/resources/airport/Y49/IAP/RNAV+%28GPS%29+RWY+15

 

are two charts for an airport with only GPS approaches. Looking at the runway 15 plate minimums as an example, for LNAV your minimum altitude in IMC is 1900 MSL (475 AGL) and minimum visibility is one mile for a class A  (Lighter slower GA) aircraft.

 

 

 

Note that in FS planner, you may not find the RNAV waypoints. An add-on scenery may or may not have these.

 

A better choice might be a VOR/DME procedure if available as the VOR is probably in the FS database.

 

As far as getting updated waypoints and navaids for FS look over the free offerings on this site for some major geographic areas:

 

http://www.aero.sors.fr/

 

Click on navdata and then download the fixes (waypoints) and navaids for your version of FS. Follow the instructions for each. These go in as add-on scenery type files and do not modify the default FS files. These should then be available in the FS planner. The plan waypoints will show in the default GPS but not necessarily in the GPS procedures.

 

In FS9 format, which I think FSX takes as well, Here are two plans. The first is using low altitude airways from regional airport KANE to the example Y49, both in Minnesota:

 

[flightplan]
AppVersion=9.1.40901
title=KANE to Y49
description=KANE, Y49
type=IFR
routetype=2
cruising_altitude=6000
departure_id=KANE, N45* 8.37', W93* 12.94', +000911.99
departure_position=PARKING 3
destination_id=Y49, N47* 9.33', W94* 38.59', +001364.00
departure_name=Anoka Co-Blaine
destination_name=Walker Mun
waypoint.0=, KANE, , KANE, A, N45* 8.37', W93* 12.94', +000911.99,
waypoint.1=K3, BRD, , BRD, V, N46* 20.90', W94* 1.56', +000000.00,
waypoint.2=K3, HUUTA, , HUUTA, I, N46* 42.78', W94* 19.04', +000000.00, V82
waypoint.3=, Y49, , Y49, A, N47* 9.33', W94* 38.59', +001364.00,
 

The second uses VORs:

 

[flightplan]
AppVersion=9.1.40901
title=KANE to Y49
description=KANE, Y49
type=IFR
routetype=1
cruising_altitude=6000
departure_id=KANE, N45* 8.33', W93* 12.61', +000911.99
departure_position=36
destination_id=Y49, N47* 9.33', W94* 38.59', +001364.00
departure_name=Anoka Co-Blaine
destination_name=Walker Mun
waypoint.0=, KANE, , KANE, A, N45* 8.33', W93* 12.61', +000911.99,
waypoint.1=K3, BRD, , BRD, V, N46* 20.90', W94* 1.56', +001250.00,
waypoint.2=, Y49, , Y49, A, N47* 9.33', W94* 38.59', +001364.00,
 

http://flightaware.com/resources/airport/Y49/IAP/all/pdf is a .pdf of both approaches. Note waypoint HUUTA is an IAF for RNAV runway 33.

 

FS planner auto-routing was used for low altitude airways and VORs both IFR. GPS was direct airport to airport which would not give a midway waypoint required by RC.

 

 

Let me know how it works out for you.

[Mike Berger 4]

Hi Ron,

 

I think I got it figured out. I created a VOR to VOR route instead of GPS direct route this time. I also configured RC4 with an alternate airport that had an RNAV procedure.

 

Once again, when I was 4mi from the destination airport, RC asked me if I had the airport in sight or if I needed an instrument approach.

 

Since the airport does not have any instrument approaches (as per skyvector), I told RC that I needed to land at my alternate.

 

I was handed off from center to approach and vectored to intercept the approach course of my alternate.

 

Since my alternate was also uncontrolled, radar contact was terminated once I intercepted the approach course.

 

I was able to do the RNAV approach, spot the field, and land.

 

 

thanks for the help,

Mike