Gettin Turned Around

A solid understanding of the rules and types of course reversals on an approach is essential. Course reversals are part of the FAAs guidance for IPCs. So, if you come out of proficiency training without feeling good about them, you didnt get your moneys worth. Regardless, you should be familiar, lest you hear unable radar vectors in the soup when you least expect it.

Editorial Staff

Wednesday, July 30, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Course reversals, critical for instrument proficiency and non-vectored approaches, are maneuvers used to reverse direction and establish an aircraft on an intermediate or final approach course.
The Procedure Turn (PT) is depicted by a barbed arrow and allows pilot discretion for turn execution within specified distance limits (commonly 10 NM), with descent to the PT altitude permitted once abeam or outbound from the fix.
The Hold-in-Lieu-of-Procedure-Turn (HILPT), shown as a solid holding pattern at an IAF, mandates a standard holding pattern entry, and further holding circuits are not required if cleared for the approach while at the prescribed altitude.
Both course reversal types require adherence to specific speed limits (e.g., 200 KIAS for PTs) and a thorough understanding of their rules for safe and effective execution, especially when radar vectors are unavailable.

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A solid understanding of the rules and types of course reversals on an approach is essential. Course reversals are part of the FAA’s guidance for IPCs. So, if you come out of proficiency training without feeling good about them, you didn’t get your money’s worth. Regardless, you should be familiar, lest you hear “unable radar vectors” in the soup when you least expect it.
There are two types of course reversal: the procedure turn (PT) and the hold-in-lieu-of-procedure-turn (HILPT). They both have the same basic definition: A maneuver prescribed when it is necessary to reverse direction to establish an aircraft on the intermediate approach segment or final approach course.