When pilots head to Las Vegas, most think of the nightlife or maybe gambling. With nearly year-round sunshine and often scorching temperatures, the last thing on their minds is probably the weather, despite Las Vegas’ regular monsoon season that runs from mid-June through September. That’s the time of the year when Las Vegas receives most of its annual 4.5 inches of rain—and it’s also when a pilot’s IFR skills could be put to the test. That’s how we arrived at this month’s chart, the ILS Runway 12L at North Las Vegas Airport. Because of KVGT’s proximity to town—just 5 miles north of McCarran International—pilots might also find themselves flying this approach simply for sequencing.
North Las Vegas ILS or LOC Runway 12L
Key Takeaways:
- The ILS Runway 12L at North Las Vegas (KVGT) is frequently an opposite-direction approach, often requiring circling to other runways due to prevailing winds, terrain, and proximity to McCarran International.
- This approach mandates DME/IFR GPS and ATC radar services, and it targets the shorter Runway 12L, requiring higher circling minimums if landing on the longer parallel runway.
- Key challenges include a steeper-than-normal 3.2-degree glideslope that may not align with visual aids, and a complex missed approach procedure that routes aircraft over McCarran, potentially leading to different ATC instructions.
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