The Alternate Missed

I was in the left seat of a Beech Bonanza, receiving an instrument proficiency check in the Kansas City, Mo., area. We departed Lees Summit Municipal Airport (KLXT), simulating a takeoff into instrument conditions, and proceeded toward Midwest National Air Center Airport (KGPH), a short distance to the north. My instructor gave me headings to simulate radar vectors in the clear, cold and turbulent low-level air.

Tom Turner

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Alternate missed approach procedures, often issued via NOTAMs, are not stored in GPS databases, necessitating pilots to utilize "old school" ground-based navigation techniques (like VORs) and manual flight methods.
Instructions for alternate missed approaches, including routes and altitudes, are found in FDC NOTAMs and require diligent pre-flight planning, as only the holding pattern might be depicted on the approach chart itself.
Successfully executing an alternate missed approach demands increased pilot workload, meticulous setup of traditional navigation equipment (e.g., VORs), and often relies on heading mode for the autopilot rather than navigation coupling.

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I was in the left seat of a Beech Bonanza, receiving an instrument proficiency check in the Kansas City, Mo., area. We departed Lee’s Summit Municipal Airport (KLXT), simulating a takeoff into instrument conditions, and proceeded toward Midwest National Air Center Airport (KGPH), a short distance to the north. My instructor gave me headings to simulate radar vectors in the clear, cold and turbulent low-level air.

We intercepted KGPH’s ILS Runway 18, turning inbound initially with a strong tailwind. I commented that we would probably have to descend at 700 fpm or more (as opposed to the normal 500-600 fpm) because of the high ground speed southbound. But quickly the wind changed; we bounced through the wind shear that accompanied the shift and, as it turned out, a normal descent kept us on the glideslope.