![Runway at Angel Fire Airport [Credit: Spencer Hamons]](https://flyingmag1.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/Spencer-Hamons-3-scaled.jpg?width=2560&height=1725)
If you are headed up into the New Mexico mountains near Angel Fire for some winter skiing or summer mountain biking or hiking, you might just find yourself flying the one and only approach the airport (KAXX) has—the RNAV GPS to Runway 17.
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A) IAFs From East and West Into the Mountains
IAFs feed from the west via the TAS VOR to the IAF at AXIPE or from the east using the FENON waypoint to the GEKTE IAF take a pilot from elevations at 12,800 feet from the west or 12,700 from the east to the OMLEE waypoint as an intermediate fix (IF). High terrain in these areas keeps a pilot high until they turn inbound.
B) OMLEE Inbound Descents
From the IF at OMLEE, a pilot can descend a little bit down to 12,300 feet, then to 11,600 after passing the CEMOV waypoint before reaching the WUDEN FAF.
C) Turn at the FAF
A critical point of this approach is that the inbound track to the FAF, 157 degrees, is different from the track that will need to be followed after passing the FAF. After passing the FAF, the pilot will turn to follow a 174 track that will take them to the missed approach point at the runway. The GPS should sequence this, but pay attention to it.
- READ MORE: Angel Fire Provides Halo of Unforgettable Adventure
- READ MORE: Chart Wise: Canyonlands Regional (KCNY) VOR-A
D) Higher Minimum; Non-WAAS
The LNAV MDA on this approach takes a pilot down to 9,960 feet msl, 1,624 feet agl. Note that there is only an LNAV MDA minimum on this approach, so no WAAS GPS-based glideslopes or added accuracy is present for this approach.
E) Missed Requires Climbing and Turning
Going missed on this approach requires the pilot to climb to 14,000 feet msl while flying a 174-degree course to the HOMDU waypoint, turning to a 160-degree track to the DEVEC waypoint, and then following the same track to the FTI VORTAC, where the hold will take place with an inbound track of 192 degrees. The hold will be a 4 nm GPS-based hold. No special climb gradient requirements are given, but remember that the FAA assumes a minimum climb gradient of 200 feet per nautical mile unless otherwise noted. At 90 knots, this would mean 300 fpm; 400 fpm at 120 knots. Make sure your aircraft can meet this climb rate from the missed approach altitude at 9,960 feet msl to the holding altitude at 14,000 msl.
F) NA With No Local Altimeter
A note at the top of the chart indicates that “if local altimeter setting not received, procedure NA.” This means if the AWOS happens to be out or ATC can’t provide you the local altimeter setting, this approach cannot be flown.
This column first appeared in the December Issue 965 of the FLYING print edition.
