Finish The Job

Elaine Kauh

Monday, January 23, 2023 at 03:23 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The pilot faced a complex night IFR arrival at Lexington, requiring careful navigation around a closed runway, an inoperative glideslope (necessitating a LOC 22 approach), and a circle-to-land on Runway 27 without GPS.
Thorough pre-flight briefing was crucial to identify critical NOTAMs and understand approach limitations, such as "Alternate NA" conditions at the filed alternate airport (Frankfort).
The scenario highlighted the importance of robust alternate planning, balancing filed options with personal backups while considering factors like distance, fuel reserves, and specific approach capabilities.
Despite initial preferences, the pilot demonstrated adaptability by accepting ATC instructions and successfully executing the complex approach with strong situational awareness, utilizing an EFB for cross-verification.

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The second leg of your Tennessee-to-Kentucky journey (see January IFR) is going more smoothly than the first, but there are yet some tough decisions to make before parking for the night at Lexington, Kentucky. There’s the matter of working around a busy airport with a runway closure in marginal VFR weather. Oh, and it’ll be dark when you arrive, adding more complexity to this single-engine solo trip.

Lots of NOTAMs