The Unique Approach to Honolulu's LDA RWY 26L (PHNL)

Here's a breakdown of the LDA approach into Runway 26L at the O'ahu gateway airport.

Jason Blair

Tuesday, December 20, 2022 at 04:01 PM ET

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PHNL LDA Runway 26L [Reproduced with permission of Jeppesen]

Key Takeaways:

The Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (PHNL) LDA approach to Runway 26L is unique due to its final approach course being angled 40 degrees off the runway (304°) because of terrain, requiring pilots to follow flashing lights for final alignment.
This complex approach involves critical navigation elements such as mandatory crossing altitudes at several fixes for airspace management, the necessity to use IEPC DME, and a potentially confusing missed approach procedure that turns south of the HNL VOR.
While primarily a localizer-based approach, GPS is often required for initial approach fixes, and circling is specifically prohibited for Runway 22R and the airport's designated seaplane "Sea Lanes."

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Planning a little flying around Honolulu, Hawai‘i? Following along like the aviation dork I am on an airline flight, as you check out the approach plates the crew might be using; or just looking for a busy approach to test your knowledge? You might run across the LDA approach to Runway 26L at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (PHNL). It’s an approach plate with lots going on—but don’t forget to look ahead if you break out high enough, as you’ll be aimed at the historic grounds of Pearl Harbor, before you follow the flashing lights on in to Runway 26L.

A. LDA: At an Angle