Tri-Cities/Bristol, Tennessee ILS or LOC Runway 23

The ILS or LOC approach into Tri-Cities/Bristol in Tennessee offers several key areas of interest for instrument rated pilots to study for proficiency.

Jason Blair

Thursday, November 16, 2023 at 02:44 PM ET

Verified

Bristol, Tennessee, offers a wide range of activities for pilots and their families. [Adobe Stock/Eifel Kreutz]

Key Takeaways:

The Glade Spring VOR initial approach segment requires pilots to maintain 6,000 feet for 10.1 miles before descending, essential for terrain clearance.
This approach is notable for featuring an Inner Marker (IM) in addition to the Outer Marker (OM), aiding in identifying the final approach fix and proximity to the runway.
Without DME, pilots must utilize cross-radials from the HMV VOR to identify step-down waypoints, especially when flying without the glide slope.
The missed approach, terminating at the BOOIE NDB, mandates either a working ADF receiver or suitable IFR GPS to legally begin the procedure without radar assistance.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Whether you’re flying in for country music of a lap around the speedway, a visitor to Bristol, Tennessee—billed as the birthplace of country music—might drop into the museum focused on that fact, or perhaps for the several yearly NASCAR events at the Bristol Motor Speedway. Nestled in a deceivingly mountainous locale on the Tennessee-Virginia border, the approach plate hints at some terrain in the area, especially to the south and east.

This Article First Appeared in FLYING Magazine

If you're not already a subscriber, what are you waiting for? Subscribe today to get the issue as soon as it is released in either Print or Digital formats.