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Teardrop PT/ Course Reversal

Asked by: 7840 views Airspace, FAA Regulations

AIM Excerpt:

A teardrop procedure or penetration turn may be specified in some procedures for a required course reversal. The teardrop procedure consists of departure from an initial approach fix on an outbound course followed by a turn toward and intercepting the inbound course at or prior to the intermediate fix or point. Its purpose is to permit an aircraft to reverse direction and lose considerable altitude within reasonably limited airspace. Where no fix is available to mark the beginning of the intermediate segment, it must be assumed to commence at a point 10 miles prior to the final approach fix. When the facility is located on the airport, an aircraft is considered to be on final approach upon completion of the penetration turn. However, the final approach segment begins on the final approach course 10 miles from the facility.

 

Question: Are turns to the intermediate segment/final segment allowed to commence in less than 10 NM (for example turn at 5 NM)? The AIM language does not state "within" 10 NM 

 

Thanks for the feedback

5 Answers



  1. John D Collins on Dec 11, 2014

    Dan, I don’t understand the wording of your question, can you reference your question to a specific approach?

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  2. Dan Chitty on Dec 11, 2014

    John,

    Please see revised inquiry.

    Thanks for the feedback.

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  3. Best Answer


    John D Collins on Dec 11, 2014

    I would think that if there is a fix (usually a DME fix) on the outbound leg of the teardrop and an IF fix on the inbound course, you would commence the turn to the inbound course at the outbound fix so as to intercept the intermediate leg at or outside the intermediate fix. If the fixes are not charted, the intermediate leg starts 10 NM from the FAF, and you would fly the outbound leg to the point necessary to commence the turn to the inbound leg so that it is intercepted at the beginning of the leg. There should be a note in the profile view depicting where the turn to the inbound commences or the distance within it must be completed. If a distance within is specified, you can turn earlier than the maximum, but since the purpose of the teardrop is to provide additional distance to make a descent, it sort of defeats its purpose.

    It is hard to find approaches that use a teardrop turn, but they exist. One is found at KLNK ILS or LOC RWY 18.

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  4. Mark Kolber on Dec 12, 2014

    Another is the VOR/DME 25 at KPMD (an on-field VOR approach). It seems that a few have been revised in the past few years to switch to a HILO.

    Dan, unless you are well-versed in the design of procedures themselves, it’s more or less impossible to read the AIM description of a procedure without an illustration. Imagine for a moment you are a brand new instrument student and have to learn about holding patterns and hold entries. The catch is that you have to learn it without ever seeing what a holding pattern looks like.

    So take a look at the two teardrops John and I referenced. If you start the turn to the IF only 5 NM from the fix, where will that put you ?

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  5. Dan Chitty on Dec 12, 2014

    If a turn was made at 5nm, then the airplane would be way too close to the FAF of which would not allow enough time to get stabilized to begin a safe and normal descent.

    Great input Mark and John. Much appreciated.

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