Touring Machine Company

Old AIM 5−4−7. Instrument Approach Procedures a. Aircraft approach category means a grouping of aircraft based on a speed of VREF, if specified, or if VREF is not specified, 1.3 VSO at the maximum certified landing weight. VREF, VSO, and the maximum certified landing weight are those values as established for the aircraft by the […]

In a previous post, I described feeder routes and how they are used to transition from the enroute portion of the flight to the approach. The ones in that post are obvious—though you may not have known the name for them. There are some that tripped me up, so I thought I’d share them with […]

He covers the charts in great detail and includes a couple of things that I never noticed. Like, the little clumps of grass-like icons that are the Everglades swamp. There is also a notation on the chart for “numerous small lakes” in the area. Also good coverage of RCOs and communicating with ATC Radio. Special […]

AIM – Ch5 Arrival Procedures 5−4−20. Approach and Landing Minimums 4. The missed approach point (MAP) varies depending upon the approach flown. For vertically guided approaches, the MAP is at the decision altitude/decision height. Non−vertically guided and circling procedures share the same MAP and the pilot determines this MAP by timing from the final approach […]

He covers the charts in great detail and includes a couple of things that I never noticed. Like, the time zone boundaries are on the charts as well as Class G boundaries. He also explains T-routes and Q-routes if you are not familiar with them.

Paper sectional charts contain a listing of all of the Prohibited, Restricted, Alert, Warning, and Military Operations Areas (MOAs) at the top of the chart. The listing includes the location, altitude, time of use, and controlling agency. With the advent of electronic charts, it is sometimes difficult to find the top of the chart. Fortunately, […]

Departure procedures can often involve changing radios and radials several times in less than 10 minutes. Setting up the GPS and radios in advance can make the process much easier. I’m still learning so I like to write out the entire departure procedure and think through what happens at each altitude and turn. If you […]

The KSBP Crepe3.PRB departure is fairly straightforward so we’ll start with that. The NACO chart is shown below. Click here for PDF version or here for a larger version in a new window. The first thing to note about this departure is that it has a minimum climb gradient (275′ per nm to 1700′ with […]

Some of the symbols on the chart stick in my mind but I have trouble remembering others, especially the ones that are not as common. Before throwing away a chart, put it to use refreshing your memory on the symbols. Pick a grid section and highlight the different symbols. If you can’t name it, look […]