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4 Answers

When to descend to GSIA on ILS approach?

Asked by: 3696 views Commercial Pilot, FAA Regulations, Flight Instructor, General Aviation, Instrument Rating

Good afternoon,

 

I really apologize for wasting this forum with my sily question, but I always thanks to many who helped me a lot.

I appreciate your help and support, and I am writing this question because, this has been mystery to me for three years after getting my instrument rating, and I know my instructor once told me that we can only descend to GSIA when we are on final approach course. I tried to find this information from every source you can imagine but failed to make it happen.

Does anyone know about the validity of this info and where it came from?

 

Thanks so much and have a nice day.

 

Steve

4 Answers



  1. Wes Beard on Apr 30, 2016

    GSIA – glideslope intercept altitude?

    If I am correct, you will follow the MEAs till the next waypoint is GSIA which is also classified as the precision final approach fix.

    On some approach plates there are both ILS and LOC minimums. In this case the FAF will be charted and the GSIA may be below the MEA leading up to the FAF. In these instances, flying the ILS portion would be to descend to the MEA leading up to the LOC FAF and to descend when glideslope is captured. The lightning bolt tells you what your MSL altitude would be as you cross the LOC FAF on glideslope.

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  2. John D Collins on May 01, 2016

    I have never heard of the acronym GSIA, but only been flying for 46 years. I suggest you avoid their use when you can spell out what you mean.

    Edit: So you get a negative vote for replying that using non standard terminology when asking a question is not helpful. Not a problem for me, I just won’t bother to answer.

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  3. Mark Kolber on May 01, 2016

    You may descend to the minimum altitude for a segment of an approach when you are established on that segment of the approach.

    That’s pretty much it. I’m not certain what you are having difficulty with. Can’t you point to an actual approach that illustrates the difficulty? The rules on this do not exist in a vacuum. If you can’t come up with an example, it probably means you are creating a theoretical dilemma that may not exist in reality.

    That’s difficult to write without sounding condescending, but I absolutely do not intend it to be snarky. We all come up with imagined difficulties when considering complex topics.

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  4. Kris Kortokrax on May 01, 2016

    Wes,

    I believe that the lightning bolt (along with the bolded, underlined altitude) is the final approach fix for the ILS.

    There is a second altitude printed directly above the Maltese cross, which is the MSL altitude crossing the LOC final approach fix when you are flying the glideslope. In some instances, the altitudes are the same. In others, they are different.

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