Logging Approaches

The question of what constitutes flying a loggable instrument approach procedure (IAP) often comes up during both hangar-flying sessions and check rides. The commonly accepted definition has been something like the aircraft flies over an initial approach fix (IAF) and departs the final approach fix (FAF) inbound to the airport in actual or simulated IMC and breaks out somewhere before reaching the missed approach point (MAP), decision height (DH) or decision altitude (DA). Its not all that simple, of course, especially once simulators and view-limiting devices get involved. To help clarify the answers, the FAA recently published official guidance.

Key Takeaways:

• The FAA published InFO 15012 clarifying the specific conditions for logging instrument approach procedures (IAPs), including requirements for being established on each segment, flying to minimums, and operating solely by reference to instruments.
• The FAA introduced a new "Compliance Philosophy" (FAA Order 8000.373) aiming to help individuals and entities return to compliance through cooperative means for honest mistakes, reserving enforcement for willful or flagrant violations.
• A new FAA policy statement (PS-ACE-23-08) outlines acceptable methods for replacing less reliable vacuum-driven attitude indicators with more reliable electronically-driven ones, often classifying it as a minor alteration.

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