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2 Answers

Descent on HILPT

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Instrument Rating

Reference ILS or LOC RWY 35 at Asheville Regional (KAVL).  You are proceeding on the feeder route from SUG to BRA at 7,000.  Asheville Approach tells you to maintain  7000 until established on a segment of the approach, cleared ILS  runway 35.  My question is this:  When can I descend to 5200?  My old USAF regs permitted me to descend on a HILO (HILPT) at IAF station passage.  The only descent guidance I see in the AIM or Instrument FAAHs is for Procedure Turns which would (in this case) permit me to descend at station passage as well.  Is there specific descent guidance for HILPTs or do we use the PT guidance?

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2 Answers



  1. Russ Roslewski on Nov 27, 2019

    Once you’ve passed the IAF BRA and are turning outbound to enter the holding pattern, you are established on a segment of the approach and can descend to the appropriate minimum altitude.

    For most FAA purposes, a HILPT _IS_ a PT, so the rules are the same.

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  2. Mark Kolber on Nov 27, 2019

    I’ll try to take Russ’ answer one step further (and yes, the rules are the same). Whether or not you may descend upon station passage depends on the way the HILPT (or any PT) is depicted on the chart.

    On the one you asked about, you may descend to 5,200 once outbound because this is what is depicted on the chart. Arrow in both directions and only one altitude depicted. Compare that to to the HILPT for the LOC 8 at Danbury, CT (DXR). In that one, you may only descend to 2300 when outbound, but need to wait until inbound to descend to 2,000, as shown by the two altitudes on the “holding side” of the profile..

    (The dual altitude is not uncommon with a full barbed PT, but I was surprised I actually found one for a 1-minute HILPT!)

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