Chart Wise: New Orleans VOR DME 36L (KNEW)

A good GPS navigation system would help a lot on this Louisiana approach.

Jason Blair

Tuesday, April 16, 2024 at 09:28 AM ET

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Here's a look at the approach to Lakefront Airport (KNEW) in New Orleans. [Image: Jeppesen]

Key Takeaways:

The VOR DME Runway 36L approach to Lakefront Airport (KNEW) is deceptively complex, requiring precise execution despite its initial straightforward appearance.
DME from the Harvey (HRV) VOR (or an IFR GPS substitute) is critical and explicitly required for identifying all key points, including the Final Approach Fix (FAF), step-down fixes, and the Missed Approach Point (MAP).
The missed approach procedure presents a significant challenge, necessitating a switch between two different VORs (HRV and RQR) and careful management of radials and DME, particularly without a GPS.

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A pilot traveling to New Orleans might choose to avoid the business commercial airport to the west and instead fly into Lakefront Airport (KNEW) to be closer to downtown. Doing so, it might become useful to approach the airport via the VOR DME Runway 36L approach.

For what looks like a pretty straightforward VOR approach at first glance, there is a lot going on here that might trip up a pilot—and using a solid IFR GPS navigator would help significantly.