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Precision Approach Radar

Asked by: 5010 views Commercial Pilot, FAA Regulations, Flight Instructor, Instrument Rating

Hi! According to the AIM, "a radar approach may be given to any A/C upon request and may be offered to pilots in distress or to expedite traffic". Now the question: If your destination airport is equipped with an ILS, but also with a PAR, what would a pilot choose? Are there any advantages with a PAR compared to an ILS, or (in reality) would it rather be used in a distress situation, where you might have lost a navigation instrument? Thanks!  

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2 Answers



  1. John D. Collins on Jul 03, 2013

    There are very few PAR approaches left in the US today, mostly if not all at military fields. I haven’t flown one in the last 45 years of my GA career. Some pilots have sought out airports that still have PAR procedures and flown them for practice, It is probably good practice, for both you and the controller, if you can find it and it would especially make flying one in an emergency more likely to have a satisfactory outcome.

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  2. Jonathan Seitz on Jul 05, 2013

    I have had the opportunity to fly a PAR approach several times. While many will tell you that a PAR is a great option if you lose your attitude instruments, I will disagree. I believe that the best and most helpful approach is the ILS. The PAR is nice to have in a pinch, but the ILS will almost always have lower minimums and is therefore better in an emergency involving actual IFR.

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