The plate says it’s an option. Your GPS software and database are up-to-date. Yet that new LP approach refuses to load. That could be a plus if you like vertical guidance.
Stalking the Elusive LP
With the advent of WAAS, the FAA developed approaches that provided vertical guidance while offering the lateral accuracy that previously was only available with an ILS or localizer approach. It was named LPV for Localizer Performance with Vertical and now sports decision heights as low as 200 feet.
Key Takeaways:
- LP approaches are a type of WAAS GPS procedure providing precise lateral guidance without vertical guidance, designed for runways where LPV (Localizer Performance with Vertical) isn't feasible and often leading to lower MDAs than LNAV.
- Flying LP approaches requires specific WAAS GPS software updates and flight manual authorization, and a key consequence is the loss of advisory vertical guidance, even if the approach downgrades to LNAV.
- Despite being published since 2010, the practical availability of LP approaches was significantly delayed until mid-2012 or later because navigation database providers lacked the necessary coding support.
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