Chart Wise: West Lafayette, Indiana (KLAF) VOR-A

Old-school approach and circling procedures must be navigated to reach Purdue University Airport.

Jason Blair

Friday, October 16, 2026 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Ramp at Purdue University Airport (KLAF) in West Lafayette, Indiana [Credit: Purdue University]

Key Takeaways:

The VOR-A approach at Purdue University Airport (KLAF) is a non-precision, circling-only approach, meaning it does not align with a specific runway but guides pilots to the airport to then visually select a runway.
The approach typically starts at the BVR VOR (Initial Approach Fix) and involves specific altitude step-downs through intersections like UPUKE and BATLE (Final Approach Fix), which can be identified using VOR DME, IFR GPS, or NDB bearings.
Pilots must adhere to circling minimums, such as 1,160 feet MSL (554 feet AGL) for slower aircraft, before descending to land. The missed approach involves a straight-ahead climb, followed by a right turn back to the BVR VOR.

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A trip to West Lafayette, Indiana, to visit Purdue University (see feature on page 44), or perhaps getting some flight training there while in college, might just find a pilot with a need to fly the VOR-A approach. Or it just might be that your CFI (or mean old DPE on your IFR practical test) is putting you through the paces and asking you to fly it. It’s an old-school kind of approach. So let’s dig into some of the things you might want to take note of when trying to land at Purdue University Airport (KLAF).

This Article First Appeared in FLYING Magazine

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