A flying friend of mine likes to say that you know you’re into something interesting when you have to sign a waiver beforehand. In the IFR world, I tend to think of approach procedures having an alphabetical suffix, such as RNAV (GPS) Z RWY 01, the same way. Whenever you see one of these, something is probably going to be interesting about the procedure, and the tricky part is figuring out what it is.
The GPS/ILS Approach
Key Takeaways:
- Suffixes on IFR approach procedures (e.g., RNAV (GPS) Z) indicate multiple straight-in approaches of the same type to a single runway, often due to differing equipment requirements, performance criteria, or obstacle clearance needs.
- These multiple procedures may differentiate between RNP and GPS minimums, offer lower minimums with a non-standard missed approach climb gradient, or optimize for different GPS minimum types like LNAV versus LPV.
- A growing trend is hybrid GPS/ILS approaches, using GPS for initial routing to a conventional ILS final, making precise approaches accessible to aircraft with basic IFR GPS and ILS receivers but potentially lacking WAAS capability.
- Pilots must thoroughly review any approach with a suffix to understand its specific requirements and ensure compatibility with their aircraft's avionics, both for flight and alternate planning.
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