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 a complex opposite-direction approach frequently used in all weather, often requiring pilots to expect circling instructions from ATC to other runways due to prevailing winds and proximity to McCarran International.
- Pilots must be DME/IFR GPS equipped and require ATC radar services to fly this procedure, which features a steeper-than-normal 3.2-degree glideslope that may not align with visual PAPI cues upon breakout.
- This approach leads to KVGT's shorter Runway 12L/30R, necessitating higher circling minimums for landings on the parallel runway, and pilots should anticipate ATC modifications to published missed approach procedures due to the dense airspace.
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