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2 Answers

IFR Practice Approach CTAF Communications

Asked by: 1899 views
Airspace, General Aviation, Instrument Rating

Hello, please help settle a friendly hangar argument about CTAF location announcement best practices surrounding IFR practice approach communications arriving at an uncontrolled airport?

1st pilot broadcasts on CTAF airplane location referencing distance & direction from IFR navaids (ex: at Arket inbound VOR 12 approach).

Vs.

2nd pilot broadcasts on CTAF airplane locations referencing distance & direction from airport (ex: 5 mi west inbound Rwy12 low approach).

Airport & plate referenced is KLVN VOR 12.

I looked in the AIM for IFR vs. VFR CTAF lingo but was unable to locate best practice guidance.  Thank you for your help.

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2 Answers



  1. John D Collins on May 09, 2021

    VFR pilots can’t be assumed to have an understanding of local IFR procedures, and any call referencing procedure waypoints is not helpful. I recommend that when switched to CTAF, you state your location in terms of distance from the runway. Rock Hill traffic, Bonanza 1234 7 mile final straight in runway 2. For the VOR RWY 12 at KLVN, since the final approach course is not aligned with the runway, it would help to specify both the course to FGT and the distance from the runway. I am an instrument rated pilot but if I was on a VFR flight plan, I would have no clue where ARKET would be unless I was familiar with the airport and its approaches. I would suggest something like, “Airlake traffic, Bonanza 1234, 7 miles West of Airlake, tracking the Farmington 085 course inbound, 30 degree angle to the straight in runway 12 Airlake, landing full stop.” or “low approach continuing direct to Farmington” if you are planning to execute the missed approach.

    If you are practicing approaches and not in contact with approach control and there are other aircraft also practicing the same approach, then when communicating on CTAF with the other aircraft that is also doing approaches, it can be helpful to express where you are with respect to fixes on the procedure so you can coordinate with them.

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  2. Ray Svobodny on May 17, 2021

    Thank you. I also located 9.6.1, Non-Towered Airport Flight Operations AC No: 90-66B https://www.faa.gov/documentlibrary/media/advisory_circular/ac_90-66b.pdf

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