When I first saw the approach chart for the ILS Y or LOC Y RWY 3 at Raleigh Executive Jetport at Sanford-Lee County, South Carolina (KTTA), I thought I was seeing something unusual. I was. It’s an ILS approach with a Terminal Arrival Area (TAA). Yes, these are possible and we’re starting to see more, so let’s take a closer look. Let’s call this the “Y” approach. The “Y” also implies that there is a “Z” approach lurking nearby.
TAAs and MSAs
TAAs are typically associated with RNAV (GPS) approaches using the familiar “T” structure. Such designs frequently have initial approach fixes (IAF) at the end of the arms of the “T” and the center waypoint is usually an IAF and an intermediate fix (IF). However not all GPS “T” approaches have TAAs.
