No-arrival sectors

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.

Editorial Staff

Friday, August 01, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Aviation rules for instrument approaches, like the "Procedure Not Approved" (NA) sectors on the Aiken VOR/DME-A, can appear arbitrary and overly complex.
These NA restrictions are based on TERPS standards, which dictate that an approach should not chart a procedure turn for specific airway arrivals requiring sharp turns if other arrival options are available.
The restrictions are often historical holdovers from older IFR system designs when radar was scarce and are not considered safety-critical enough for immediate updates, as shown by older approaches lacking similar warnings.
In practice, pilots can often circumvent these restrictions via radar vectors or by rerouting, indicating that the "NA" primarily applies to self-initiated procedures rather than being an absolute prohibition.

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Another tale from the land of aviation compromise, where trying to dot every “i” wipes some of the “t”s right off the page. Ah, progress.

What is it with arbitrary rules and aviation? Like how some security Ph.D. determined that a quart bag of three-ounce containers don’t constitute a security threat but a single quart of Pepsi does. Maybe they think terrorists aren’t smart enough to pool their resources. Or maybe the TSA brass just has something against soft drinks.