Chart Wise: Heber Valley, Utah (KHCR) RNAV GPS-A Rwy 22

This IFR arrival in the mountains takes concentration and skill.

Jason Blair

Friday, April 18, 2025 at 07:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Snow-covered mountains in Utah. [Courtesy: Scott Dennstaedt]

Key Takeaways:

Pilots approaching Heber Valley Airport face significant challenges due to high surrounding terrain, demanding careful consideration of aircraft performance and high terrain clearances for all approach phases, including initial and missed approaches.
The approach features circling-only minimums that are relatively high, making it unsuitable for very low weather, and includes specific restrictions such as no circling south of the runway and no night circling for Runway 4.
Critical safety considerations include adhering to a strict 210-knot speed limit during the missed approach due to terrain proximity and knowing the 13,100-foot Minimum Safe Altitude (MSA) for emergency obstacle clearance, especially in cases of GPS loss.

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Not far south from Park City, Utah, the Heber Valley Airport might just put a pilot closer to where they want to be for their winter backcountry skiing adventure, some summer hiking or fly fishing, or a white water rafting trip. No matter the reason for your visit to the Heber Valley area, the airport there offers pilots a way to approach when conditions are less than VFR, but there are some considerations worth making before you embark on this scenic mountain trip.

This Article First Appeared in FLYING Magazine

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