Chart Wise: Rangeley Lake Seaplane Base (M57) RNAV (GPS)-C

IFR procedure mandates turn at FAF and requires human altimeter reading for Maine landing.

Jason Blair

Wednesday, August 05, 2026 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Keith Deschambeault has leased Rangeley Lake Seaplane Base since 2007 and uses it for his commercial operations. [Credit: Keith Deschambeault]

Key Takeaways:

The article details a rare IFR approach to Rangeley Lake in Maine, uniquely designed for float-equipped aircraft to culminate in a water landing.
The procedure involves specific waypoints and turns, starting at SHINY, proceeding to the FAF at ZEMSI, and continuing to the missed approach point at FOXAL.
Key restrictions include "circling only" minimums, a special requirement for altimeter settings via CTAF, and prohibitions for faster aircraft (Categories C and D) and nighttime operations.

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There aren’t many approaches in the IFR system that let a pilot fly an instrument procedure that doesn’t terminate on land, but this one does. This approach brings a pilot to the northern port of Rangeley Lake in Maine.

This Article First Appeared in FLYING Magazine

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