When I began working on this article, my intention was to discuss the different types of instrument approaches, their minima and how they will look and perform while being flown. Diving in, I inevitably encountered the RNAV/RNP/PBN naming convention, which is one of the drivers of confusion in GPS approaches. So, let’s start with a top-down review, a brief overview of each type of approach, and throw in some pitfalls and common mistakes that can occur while flying GPS, err RNAV, I mean RNP approaches.
RNAV: Area Navigation
In modern aviation, RNAV has become synonymous with GPS, but this was not always the case. From the FAA: “RNAV is a method of navigation that permits aircraft operation on any desired flight path within the coverage of ground- or space-based navigation aids, or within the limits of the capability of self-contained aids, or a combination of these.”
