Chart Wise: Borrego Valley RNAV (GPS) Rwy 26

Southern California airport offers desert views on approach.

Jason Blair

Wednesday, October 30, 2024 at 08:48 AM ET

Verified

Edited By: tccjeremy

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Key Takeaways:

The singular GPS approach to Runway 26 at Borrego Springs Airport is a non-precision LNAV MDA approach, requiring pilots to manually follow stepdowns without a glideslope.
Pilots must carefully navigate challenging terrain on three sides of the airport and execute multiple course changes, including a crucial turn at the Final Approach Fix (FAF), to maintain the approach path.
Specific procedural considerations include mandatory left traffic for circling to Runway 8 (with restrictions) and a distinct missed approach involving a U-turn to an eastbound holding pattern.

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A trip to the nearby Salton Sea, a hike in Slot Canyon, or a rare chance to visit the desert wildflower displays, if you time it right, might take you to this airport in Borrego Springs, California, with one singular GPS approach to Runway 26.

This Article First Appeared in FLYING Magazine

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