Approach Control Flashcards
What is a STAR?
A Standard Terminal Arrival Route (STAR) is an ATC-coded IFR arrival route established for use by arriving IFR aircraft destined for certain airports. Its purpose is to simplify clearance delivery procedures and facilitate transition between enroute and instrument approach procedures.
Reference the Terminal Procedures Publication (TPP) for the availability of STARs.
If ATC issues your flight a STAR, must you accept it?
You are not required to accept a STAR, but if you do, you must be in possession of at least the approved chart. RNAV STARs must be retrievable by the procedure name from the aircraft database and conform to the charted procedure.
What is an RNAV STAR?
STARs designated RNAV serve the same purpose as conventional STARs, but are only used by aircraft equipped with FMS or GPS. An RNAV STAR or STAR transition typically includes flyby waypoints, with fly-over waypoints used only when operationally required.
What does the notation ‘RNAV1’ on an RNAV STAR indicate?
RNAV 1 terminal procedures require that the aircraft’s track keeping accuracy remain bound by +1 nautical mile (NM) for 95 percent of the total flight time. All pilots are expected to maintain route centerlines during all RNAV operations unless authorized to deviate by ATC or under emergency conditions.
What does the clearance ‘descend via’ authorize you to do when navigating on a STAR or RNAV STAR procedure?
Clearance to ‘descend via’ authorizes pilots to: a. Descend at pilot’s discretion to meet published restrictions and laterally navigate on a STAR. b. When cleared to a waypoint depicted on a STAR, to descend from a previously assigned altitude at pilot’s discretion to the altitude depicted at that waypoint. c. Once established on the depicted arrival, to descend and to meet all published or assigned altitude and/or speed restrictions.
What is a terminal arrival area (TAA)?
A terminal arrival area is a published or assigned track by which aircraft are transitioned from the en route structure to the terminal area. A TAA consists of a designated volume of airspace designed to allow aircraft to enter a protected area with obstacle clearance and signal reception guaranteed.
If you are cleared direct to an IAF or IF/IAF within a TAA, but not cleared for the approach by ATC, are you automatically cleared to descend to a TAA altitude?
An ATC clearance direct to an IAF or to the IF/IAF without an approach clearance does not authorize a pilot to descend to a lower TAA altitude. If a pilot desires a lower altitude without an approach clearance, he/she should request the lower TAA altitude from ATC.
Will all RNAV (GPS) approaches have a TAA?
No; The TAA will not be found on all RNAV procedures, particularly in areas of heavy concentration of air traffic. When the TAA is published, it replaces the MSA for that approach procedure.
How are fly-over and fly-by waypoints used in a GPS approach procedure?
Fly-by waypoints are used when an aircraft should begin a turn to the next course prior to reaching the waypoint. Fly-over waypoints are used when the aircraft must fly over the point prior to starting a turn.
When being radar-vectored for an approach, at what point may you start a descent from your last assigned altitude to a lower altitude if ‘cleared for the approach’?
Upon receipt of an approach clearance while on an unpublished route or being radar vectored, a pilot will comply with the minimum altitude for IFR and maintain the last assigned altitude until established on a segment of a published route.
Define the terms: Initial approach segment, Intermediate approach segment, Final approach segment, Missed approach segment.
An instrument approach procedure may have as many as four separate segments: Initial approach segment (between the initial approach fix and the intermediate fix), Intermediate approach segment (between the intermediate fix and the final approach fix), Final approach segment (between the final approach fix and the runway), Missed approach segment (between the missed approach point and the missed approach fix).
What are standard IFR separation minimums?
When radar is employed in the separation of aircraft at the same altitude, a minimum of 3 miles separation is provided between aircraft operating within 40 miles of the radar antenna site, and 5 miles between aircraft operating beyond 40 miles from the antenna site.
What is a Minimum Vectoring Altitude (MVA)?
MVA is the lowest MSL altitude at which an IFR aircraft will be vectored by a radar controller, except as otherwise authorized for radar approaches, departures, and missed approaches. The altitude meets IFR obstacle clearance criteria.
Your approach chart indicates a MSA circle in the plan view. What is an MSA and when would you use it?
A minimum safe altitude circle depicts altitudes on approach charts that provide at least 1,000 feet of obstacle clearance within a 25-mile radius. MSAs are for emergency use only and do not assure acceptable navigational signal coverage.
What are feeder routes?
A feeder route is a route depicted on IAP charts to designate courses for aircraft to proceed from the enroute structure to the IAF. Enroute airway obstacle clearance criteria apply to feeder routes.
