With Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) notorious as the busiest airport in the US—with passengers carried at just over 103 million—the air traffic in the Atlanta area can, at times, be intense. DeKalb-Peachtree (PDK), just 17 nautical miles northeast, is a perfect GA airport for anyone visiting the metro area interested in avoiding ATL traffic. When PDK winds blow from the west and south, the RNAV (GPS) Y Runway 21L is regularly used during IFR conditions—and often just to establish a stable arrival during VFR conditions.
Chart Wise: PDK RNAV (GPS) Y Runway 21L
Key Takeaways:
- The RNAV (GPS) Y Runway 21L approach at DeKalb-Peachtree (PDK) is a non-precision procedure requiring a stabilized descent to step-down points, with its Visual Descent Point (VDP) specifically authorized only with a local altimeter setting.
- Pilots must be aware that the Missed Approach Point (MAP) is 0.4 miles from the runway end, and the "straight-in" approach is actually 15.04 degrees offset from the runway centerline, requiring a final alignment turn.
- Specific arrival restrictions apply, such as the procedure not being authorized for AWSON on V5-311-417 westbound, and limitations exist for circling to runways 03L or 16 at night with a tailwind.
- The missed approach requires an immediate, tight climbing right turn of nearly 120 degrees to the BAPPY intersection, significantly increasing pilot workload due to the close proximity of Atlanta (ATL) traffic.
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