If you remember which side of a localizer is “blue” and which is “yellow,” you’re either a historian or a true pelican. You also have an edge when it comes to certain oddball approaches.
Our feathered friends
Some approaches achieve a certain celebrity status by nature of their difficulty or mind-bending design. Such is the famous (some say infamous) LOC/DME-E into Aspen, Colo. It leverages two different localizers to give you at least a remote chance of slipping down between the mountains and seeing the runway, or slipping back up between the mountains to tell the tale if you dont.
Key Takeaways:
- The article describes the challenging LOC/DME-E approach into Aspen, notable for its use of two distinct localizers: one for the approach and a separate one for the missed approach due to severe terrain.
- When flying the missed approach *outbound* on the second localizer (which functions as a backcourse), the localizer sensing remains *normal*, not reversed, which is a common point of confusion.
- Pilots should set their HSI to the *front course* for the missed approach localizer to ensure normal sensing and avoid confusion, underscoring the enduring value of understanding traditional navigation principles even with modern GPS.
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