Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 22, 2025

When you cross the IAF, you enter the initial approach phase. Some initial approaches lead directly to the final approach. Many approaches have fixes in between called Intermediate Fixes (IF). Flying at MSA guarantees at least 1,000 feet of obstacle clearance. If present, the plan view will label them as IF.

Approach 52

Approach Descent Runway Final Approach 52

Air Facts

MAY 10, 2024

A perfectly good airplane with everything operating as expected. A high degree of pilot proficiency, competence as well as currency (currency in Circling Approaches specifically). If you depart MDA on the downwind or base leg, you’re on your own as far as obstacle clearance. What speed on final approach?

Approach 97

Approach AGL Descent Runway 97

Flight Training Central

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

Gone are the days of making an educated guess on a route, only to have ATC respond with a full route clearance with intersections and airways. It now takes only a moment in ForeFlight, Garmin Pilot or FltPlan.com to enter a departure and destination airport and then see recently issued clearances to other aircraft flying the same route.

Clearance 52

Clearance Weather Approach Runway 52

Photographic Logbook

SEPTEMBER 24, 2023

Even slowed by a 25 knot headwind, the airplane still saved time. We departed Sodus VFR and contacted Rochester Approach for our instrument clearance. We broke out of the clouds and the rain well before the final approach fix and landed among lights lining the runway of an otherwise dark and deserted airport.

Instrument Meteorological Conditions 52

Instrument Meteorological Conditions Approach Final Approach Airplanes 52

Photographic Logbook

APRIL 19, 2024

hours I had already put on the airplane since the repair increased my confidence that the issue was suitably managed. In a nod to airplane cleanliness, I shunned my preferred "everything" sub roll for a plain one that was guaranteed to shed less debris. However, the Warrior had no surprises in store for me and the 4.5

Approach 69

Approach Wind Shear Runway VOR 69

Photographic Logbook

JULY 9, 2024

As an aviator, I crave the novelty of these aerial vistas and compulsively fly to new places to absorb uncommon beauty streaming in through my airplane's windscreen. Exactly like NYC, downtown Boston is encircled by restrictive Class Bravo airspace down to the surface that requires explicit clearance to enter. I was a little nervous.

Clearance 52

Clearance Runway Approach Stability 52

ABEAM

SEPTEMBER 9, 2023

We prepped the airplane. This time, he was able to bring his van very close to the airplane so we could fuel partly by gravity directly into the tanks. After some vectoring by Green Bay approach, we were cleared for the RNP runway 30 approach at Appleton. Our fuel pump from Sint-Eloois-Vijve served us again very well.

Weather 52

Weather Runway Airplanes Approach 52

Photographic Logbook

JULY 11, 2024

But I accepted the clearance knowing that I could change it with a local Approach control like Syracuse. Once on with Syracuse, I decided to rectify the inefficient routing at the end of my instrument clearance and requested direct to Sodus from the Syracuse VOR. This was even better than I requested. Still IFR, but barely.

Ceiling 52

Ceiling Approach Weather Runway 52

Photographic Logbook

OCTOBER 10, 2023

When I contacted Rochester Approach, the controller came back with, "Are you looking for your clearance to College Park?" I answered in the affirmative, received my clearance, and was given a climb to 6,000 feet as the rain streaked over my windscreen. Emerging from the clouds on reaching the Finger Lakes.

Transponder 52

Transponder Approach Clearance General Aviation 52

Pilot Institute

DECEMBER 19, 2024

Follow procedures when requesting an SVFR clearance or departing a non-towered airport. Final approach: This is the straight path leading to your landing. You can contact Flight Service, but they cannot give you an SVFR clearance. Runway incursions are caused by lapses in awareness and communication.

Pilot 52

Pilot Runway Air Traffic Control Approach 52

AeroSavvy

AUGUST 20, 2021

A few years ago, I got the bug to fly small airplanes again. We fly our new-to-us Piper to Florida often (the airplane could probably find Orlando on its own), and we agreed it was time for something more adventurous. Our Aircraft Our family’s airplane is a 1976 Piper PA-32 Cherokee Six.

Density Altitude 52

Density Altitude OAT Airplanes Fixed Base Operator 52

Pilot Institute

MAY 1, 2024

The briefing information section contains the most important elements of the approach, including: NAVAID and communications frequencies. Final approach course. Approach notes. Missed approach procedures. The plan view shows a top-down look at the approach path and includes: Courses and radials.

Approach 52

Approach NOTAMs Runway Weather 52

Photographic Logbook

JULY 7, 2024

Approach called the Cirrus again -- because of course it was a Cirrus -- and issued him another vector away from Warrior 481. By now, we had a visual on the other airplane and all three of us kept careful watch on it. That Lancair doesn't have a clearance and should yield to you," indicated Beverly Ground.

Approach 52

Approach Clearance Runway General Aviation 52

Photographic Logbook

JULY 21, 2024

On July 21, 2024 we departed the Rochester area in three airplanes carrying a total of ten people for an incredible view of Manhattan with lunch afterward at Hangars Cafe on the field at the Sky Acres Airport (44N). In my airplane, I was accompanied by Alyssa and Mark. answered New York Approach brightly. Peril, indeed.

Weight-Shift-Control 88

Weight-Shift-Control Clearance Approach Airplanes 88

Photographic Logbook

JANUARY 25, 2025

I urged all participants to be airborne by 7:00 am if we were to have any chance of securing limited airplane parking spots on the ice of Alton Bay. He grew up near Lake Winnipesaukee, had watched airplanes landing on the ice as a kid, and never dreamed that he would someday arrive in one. Photo by Ed. Is he moving?!"

Runway 68

Runway Airplanes Threshold Approach 68

Photographic Logbook

OCTOBER 11, 2024

I was very fortunate this year to share my airplane with a varied cast of terrific friends both old and new. Off Sodus, I briefly leveled at 2,500 feet to remain visual until I received my instrument clearance from Rochester Approach. Except for a single airplane tied down on the ramp, the parking apron was empty.

Runway 82

Runway Approach Knot Drag 82

Professional Pilot

AUGUST 8, 2024

Challenger 604, G-IV Contributing Writer Pilatus PC-12 on approach at ORL. Air traffic control instructions often lead to unstable approaches. The request to make a short approach or maintain a higher-than-normal speed to the final approach fix is the most common reason pilots don’t meet stable approach criteria.

Approach 105

Approach Descent Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) Runway 105

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 8, 2024

I generally knew what to expect since this was not my first time in a small airplane. ASA Airplane Flying Handbook can be a great resource. Stay ahead of the airplane in-flight to give yourself time to think and to free yourself for jotting down notes as needed.

Aeronautical Information Manual 72

Aeronautical Information Manual Runway Pilot Air Traffic Control 72

Photographic Logbook

AUGUST 20, 2023

However, with an airplane, such feats are easily accomplished. Stress is also a factor and there is something to be said about lounging in a mostly deserted sky with HAL controlling the airplane and shoes comfortably kicked off versus navigating the crowded mad rush of traffic on the QEW.

Runway 52

Runway Airplanes Approach Final Approach 52

Photographic Logbook

AUGUST 3, 2024

We had seven airplanes going, most of them helmed by instrument rated pilots. We departed from Sodus VFR, picked up our IFR clearances in the air, and proceeded direct to St Clair County Airport (KPHN) just on the Michigan side of the border with Canada. This lesson was rapidly approaching for Alyssa.

Airplanes 86

Airplanes Runway Weather Approach 86

Air Facts

APRIL 29, 2024

This necessitated slowing the airplane down to leave the vertical space to descend another 2,000’ to reach the initial approach fix (IAF) at 2,000′ I requested a descent to the IAF altitude of 2,000’ but was only cleared to 3,000’. ” As I broke out of the clouds on the final approach course, I flew about 1.5

Descent 98

Descent Approach Weather AGL 98

Plane and Pilot

AUGUST 8, 2024

I generally knew what to expect since this was not my first time in a small airplane. ASA Airplane Flying Handbook can be a great resource. Stay ahead of the airplane in-flight to give yourself time to think and to free yourself for jotting down notes as needed.

Aeronautical Information Manual 52

Aeronautical Information Manual Runway Pilot Air Traffic Control 52

Photographic Logbook

AUGUST 5, 2023

A ragged cloud layer hung low over the Williamson Sodus Airport, but we climbed VFR through sizable gaps over Lake Ontario before turning on course above the clouds and picking up our IFR clearance with Rochester Approach. To some, negotiating the clouds VFR and going IFR in severe clear weather might seem like a backward strategy.

Weather 52

Weather Runway Approach Clearance 52

Aerotime

DECEMBER 27, 2024

The DHC-8, which had been tasked to transport supplies to Niigata in response to the Noto Peninsula earthquake occurring the previous day, had entered the runway at Haneda Airport as the JAL A350 was on final approach. Preliminary information indicated that the airplane had landed short of the runway at Malakal.

Runway 258

Runway Airline Airlines Horizontal Stabilizer 258