Flight planning series | Part 3 Charts

Ground School Community Tutorials
#1

Welcome everyone to the third part in the flight planning series. We have a lot of things to cover in this part. Today we will be talking about getting in and out of the aerodrome on an instrument procedure. As well as some in route information.

Charts

Common symbols you’ll need to know. Altitude & Speed found at the FAA.
IMG_6778

Know your altitude and speed symbols. Know weather you need to be at a certain altitude/ speed, and maintain it or if that’s the maximum or minimum.

You can look up current U.S charts at Air NAV. This app also includes charts throughout the world Airmate app
Apple Google

SID Standard Instrument Departure
So if you remember from Part 1 our SID was ORCKA2.LAS. ORCKA2 is our departure LAS is our ending waypoint.
IMG_6796

Here is what the different lines mean. We will be focused on the departure/ arrival route, and the transition route.
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Once we get into the transition route portion we see these altitudes. The MEA is the minimum height you can be on that segment.
IMG_6798

Now on the second page of the departure it walks you thru step by step how to fly it. If you see a Thence all that means is proceed to the next.
IMG_6797

That’s going to do it for departures.

Enroute charts

Enroute IFR charts via the FAA.
IMG_6802

Really all you need to know on the enroute charts are some basic symbols.
IMG_6803

I have full confidence you guys can figure out the waypoints and Navaids.

STAR Standard Terminal Arrival Route

These read pretty much identical to the SID. So I won’t put up the legend again. So here our arrival into KJFK. If you remember back from Part 1 it was LVZ.LENDY6 so LVZ is going to be our entry waypoint, and LENDY6 is going to be the arrival.
IMG_6804

I want to point out 2 spots on this to make sure your recognize them.
First is JENNO
IMG_6804
we are told to expect FL230 notice it’s blocked on top, and bottom so if there isn’t approach guiding you be at that altitude at JENNO.

Next is LENDY
IMG_6804
So here again we are blocked at FL190 so be at it! However we are also blocked at 250 KIAS. So we need to be at that as well.

Approach plates

Now I’m sure by now you have noticed we didn’t have an approach filed in our flight plan. This is for good reason. Since weather changes regularly, and without warning it’s impossible to say which runway we will definitely be on when we arrive. So have them available on arrival.
IMG_6809
Find your precision Final approach fix FAF and your non precision FAF. Also your missed approach path identification. This are useful symbols to be able to identify at a glance.

IMG_6810
Here we have the ILS runway 13L approach. At the top we have the airport information. The airport elevation is the only one you will worry about on this box.
IMG_6810

Then we have the missed approach information below that.
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The frequency list and the INOP ALSF aren’t going to be of much use to you in IF.

Then we have the above view of the approach procedure.
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Notice how COVR KMCHI & BUZON all have (IAF) above them. The IAF is the initial approach fix. So for this approach we could use either of them to join the approach.

Below that we have the side view of the approach. This shows our glide path.
IMG_6810
Notice how all the altitudes have a line under them? That’s because you cannot go below that altitude until you have passed that point.

At the bottom you see another chart this is your minimums to continue the approach. Delegated by category, ILS, LOC, or circling. The category is based on final approach speed.

  • Category A: Speed 90 knots or less.

  • Category B: Between 91 and 120 knots.

  • Category C: Between 121 and 140 knots.

  • Category D: Between 141 knots and 165 knots.
    The first part is the height MSL the second is the Horizontal visibility given in hundreds of feet. So for the ILS we are 212/18 which means 212 feet MSL & 1800 feet horizontal visibility. If we reach this point of 212 feet MSL and don’t have the runway Environment in sight we must execute a missed approach.
    Runway environment having the runway, runway lights, threshold lights, or papi in sight

    Lastly we have our taxiway diagram.
    IMG_6810

Now the last part of our STAR said to expect vectors to final after passing LGA. If we have approach great if not we are going to follow one of these radials.
IMG_6810
And then join the approach course ourselves. A Radial is an outbound heading from a Navigational station.

Next time I’ll take your from start to finish in Infinite flights global release from weight & balance to filing that flight plan.

Thanks for following along this was by far the longest part in our series hopefully everyone got a lot out of it. 🙂

Thanks for reading any questions feel free to ask in the comments below. ✌️

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Flight planning series | Part 4 Flight plan & fuel planning
When do you have to start your descend?
SIDS/STAR Chart Help
Flightplan!
Flight plan using charts
Fuel amount
Question débutant
How Important is Realism?
How Important is Realism?
Departure SIDs EGLL
New update problems
Introduction to SimBrief
Approach and departure by Waypoint
#2

Well well well, this takes a while to get right…
Will have to look it through for a couple of days to understand this whole bunch of useful information

3 Likes
#3

Hey, Brandon, got a question:-

When Navigating through the FMC on my Aerosoft 320, on the landing runway page, i find more than a type of Approaches for each runway.
Lets say i will choose RWY 26L at OJAI for landing :-
There is VOR26L, ILS26L, LOC26L, NDB26L, RNV26L, 26L, what is the Difference between them?
Thanks!

#4

A VOR approach is one using the VOR Navaid. There is no glideslope to follow, and the VOR only reads in a degree where the ILS will read in a ½°.

The ILS is going to provide you both the runway centeriline of the localizer, as well as the glideslope down to the runway. This is the most precise approach.

The LOC is just an extended centerline from the runway no glide slope. You can also have an LDA that is offset from the runway heading that may or may not provide a glideslope.

The RNAV is going to be your GPS based approach.

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#5

Ok What about NDB please?

#6

NDB approach would be like a VOR approach.

1 Like
#7

Great my friend! #TheMoreYouKnow!

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#8

How about the taxiway charts? ;)

#9

So in that second chart, the final approach fix should be LOM?

#10

No that’s the procedural turn. The FAF is below that. They have no fix associated with it as that’s the legend.

1 Like
#11

Hi @Brandon_Sandstorm :

  1. will you be able to load SID/Stars in global, or will you need to manually input all fixes of the SID? If so, 2) will you also be able to configure speed and altitude restrictions? And lastly 3) will there be a way to save SID /STAR for other people in the community to upload and use at a later stage?

Thanks

#12

@koukkey sit tight. As Brandon mentioned earlier in the thread, more things will be covered once Global is released ;)

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#13

Very useful. Just one question: what should you do if a departure/arrival chart takes you off the map? For example, that KLAX chart, the map doesn’t go all the way to Las Vegas. So what do you do?

#14

This is all in preparation for global so you won’t need to worry about that :)

3 Likes
#15

Is the speed on the charts ground speed or airspeed?

#16

Anything listed or told to you will always be IAS

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#17

When I paste the flight plan I only get the departure airport to destination airport. It does not get the way points in between