Pine Bluff, Arkansas ILS LOC RWY 18

The approach into this non-towered rural airport is surprisingly complex at first glance.

Jason Blair

Thursday, August 17, 2023 at 04:37 PM ET

Verified

[Reproduced with permission of Jeppesen. Not for Navigational Use]

Key Takeaways:

The ILS approach to Pine Bluff (PBF) is unusually complex, featuring three rare DME arcs for initial approach establishment and notably lacking DME information for stepdown or missed approach points along the ILS/LOC course.
Pilots must diligently manage navigation sources, remembering to switch from the PBF VOR (used for DME arcs) to the ILS/LOC frequency when inbound to ensure accurate alignment with the runway.
The missed approach procedure presents a challenge, requiring a non-straight transition from the ILS/LOC to the VOR, including a specific right turn to intercept a radial for holding.

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A pilot will find the town of Pine Bluff in the heart of a rich agricultural area in the Arkansas River Basin south of Little Rock, Arkansas. While you might consider it a straightforward approach—with the non-towered airport’s single runway (18/36) served by an ILS to Runway 18—the approach plate is a pretty busy one when you first take a look at it

This Article First Appeared in FLYING Magazine

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