The small city of Vero Beach in South Florida offers renowned beaches, fishing, and golf courses, and also serves as the headquarters for Piper Aircraft. For pilots on their way to enjoy the area’s coastline, here is a look at the RNAV GPS Runway 12 approach to get in when the weather isn’t quite VFR.
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A) Seasonal Easterly Winds Pick the Approach
While in much of the country westerly winds prevail, this isn’t always the case near the ocean, such as in Vero Beach. Easterly winds frequently make pilots approach using easterly-facing runways.
B) NOPT When Using IAFs
If a pilot sequences themselves onto an approach (most likely with the help of ATC) using one of the IAFs, such as MRINO or BLDOG, they will not need to execute a procedure turn onto the final approach course. A pilot approaching using this procedure that instead used the HOCKI IAF might find a need to conduct a procedure turn or holding procedure to establish onto the final approach fix. Using one of the other IAFs can minimize the number of turns a pilot will need to make while flying this approach.
C) Low (to the Ground) Minimums
LPV minimums on this approach take a pilot down to 256 feet above the ground. Even the non-WAAS GPS minimums (LNAV MDA) will take a pilot down to 357 feet above the ground. Be ready for these low minimums in a relatively urban area. Buildings are going to look pretty close if you are taking this approach down to the absolute minimums.
D) Circling Restrictions—Very Low
Circling to Runway 30R is NA at night, and visibility minimums must be increased for faster category C/D aircraft. Along with that, a pilot should be aware that the circling minimums are pretty low, as low as 536 feet agl, and that this is much lower than a standard traffic pattern. If you are executing a circle to land on this approach, be sure to properly adjust your pattern process to avoid getting too low too soon—until you are established on final in a position where a landing is assured.
E) Missed Out Over the Water
The missed approach, a climb straight ahead to the PUUMA waypoint, is going to put a pilot approximately 11 miles out over the ocean where they would hold at 2,000. This isn’t very high, but don’t expect to get to go much higher due to heavy traffic along this area approaching other airports and the much larger Miami International Airport (KMIA) a little ways to the south. If you aren’t comfortable being this low, this far out over the ocean, especially in a single-engine aircraft, be prepared to ask ATC for some help going somewhere else in the event a missed approach is needed.
This column first appeared in the April Issue 957 of the FLYING print edition.
