How Far Can You Go?

If issued an en-route clearance limit, you will be given holding instructions. If the pattern is charted, and they rarely are, you might be issued, Hold east as published. Most moving map displays such as the G1000 and GTN series do not show published holds, necessitating a chart, but ATC will issue full holding instructions if requested. The FAA frowns on unpublished holds, saying that only those holding patterns depicted on U.S. government or commercially produced charts which meet FAA requirements should be used. This is another reason why rolling your own at JIDUK, is a shaky idea.

Fred Simonds

Monday, June 03, 2019 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

When an IFR pilot goes NORDO at an Initial Approach Fix (IAF) after being told to "expect" an approach, FAA regulation 91.185(c)(3)(i) legally supports commencing the expected approach as close to the estimated time of arrival.
The article critiques other sections of 91.185 as impractical and confusing, especially regarding holding at the destination airport when it's the clearance limit.
Pilots retain emergency authority (91.3(b)) to deviate from 91.185, allowing them to proceed directly to an IAF and land, a pragmatic approach recommended by the author for safety and efficiency.
ATC finds NORDO events highly disruptive due to their unpredictability and generally prefers pilots to land expeditiously, even if it means exercising emergency authority.

See a mistake? Contact us.

A reader wrote us recently about a pinch he found himself in during an IFR flight. He departed Easterwood Field (KCLL) destined for David Wayne Hooks Memorial (KDWH) in Houston. His departure clearance was “cleared to David Wayne Hooks Airport via radar vectors.” Easy enough. KDWH was his clearance limit.

Handed to the final Houston Approach controller, he requested direct JIDUK, the IAF for the RNAV RWY 35L approach. The controller issued, “expect the RNAV RWY 35L approach, proceed direct JIDUK, descend and maintain 2000 feet.”