Charts & Plates

I looked at the arrivals into Chicago OHare and noticed something peculiar. Both the BENKY ONE and BRADFORD FIVE arrivals have a transition route from Kirksville VOR (IRK) to LOAMY intersection. But the BENKY arrival shows a course of 068 degrees while the BRADFORD arrival shows 059. I put IRK direct to LOAMY in my GPS … and got a third course of 064.

What is it with arbitrary rules and aviation? Like how some security Ph.D. determined that a quart bag of three-ounce containers dont constitute a security threat but a single quart of Pepsi does. Maybe they think terrorists arent smart enough to pool their resources. Or maybe the TSA brass just has something against soft drinks.

Fly IFR enough and reading an approach plate becomes something akin to ordering at your favorite diner. You know everything on the menu. When Lorna the waitress tells you theyre fresh out of the sweet potato fries that let you pretend youre getting a vegetable with your triple-bypass cheeseburger, you call for the onion rings instead without asking for your options. Hey, onions are vegetables too, right?

Flying the system without an IFR GPS these days can be a frustrating experience. Youre plodding along the airways while you listen to more-equipped birds getting time-saving directs off-route.

In-betweens are always tough, and have the potential for trouble. Flying some IFR practice in VFR conditions is a perfect example. Youre emulating one set of rules (IFR) but youre actually bound by another set (VFR). There are all sorts of potential traps here: maintaining cloud clearances, conflicting with traffic youd normally be separated from, and blundering into airspace without the required communication or permission.

Few situations require quick judgment like deciding to go missed with weather at minimums. Arriving at missed approach point or decision altitude, the pilot must determine if the runway environment is in sight and the required flight visibility is evident. If these conditions are met, is the aircraft in a position to land and is the runway condition suitable? All of this must be accomplished while flying through a sea of obstructions at about 150…

Long the purview of sophisticated flight data recorders available only to airlines, many of the popular integrated TAA systems being installed today can record all the critical-and embarrassing-data about your flight. Activating a data logging feature typically calls for little more than inserting a memory card in a slot; the machine does the rest. …

According to 14 CFR 91.173, an IFR flight plan and clearance are only required for flight in controlled airspace, yet most of us have to at least occasionally depart airports within Class G airspace, essentially the only uncontrolled airspace we use. Class G usually ends at 700 or 1200 feet AGL, though there are remote places where its all the way up to 14,500 feet. Other than this, there is little guidance in the regulations…

You dont have to know how sausage is made to enjoy it, but you might want to know about some of the ingredients. The same is true for instrument approaches. You dont need to know how they are made, but an understanding of the ingredients will help.

There is no question that pilots planning to fly IFR should always keep a current database in their approved GPS. Its not difficult and it demonstrates a professional attitude toward instrument flight and aircraft maintenance. In the perfect black and white world of flight schools and checkrides, this would be standard. However, in the real world of dumb luck and Murphys Law, this topic gets a little murky. …