TIPS FOR APPROACH PLANNING
1. Review STAR & Approach
Charts
2. Link STAR – Approach –
Approach Transition to Flight
Plan
3. Review FPL Waypoints & NO
LINKS
4. Is Approach Type Enabled or
Advisory?
5. Determine Minima Using
Approach Chart
6. Review Approach Plan for
VNAV Information
7. Approach Arming
8. Approach Activation
❖ You are responsible for procedural compliance.
❖ Compare charted data to FMS flight plan arrival
procedures
❖ For chart vs database discrepancy, verify before flying the
procedure
❖ Recommend loading appropriate transition even when
expecting vectors unless STAR lines up with final
approach course
❖ Caution deleting NO LINK after clearance limit waypoint
❖ NEVER edit the approach segment (Ex. approach label,
EOA label, or waypoints in between labels) for any
approach type
❖ Know the types of approaches supported by your aircraft
❖ ILS NAV-to-NAV not supported in most aircraft
❖ LOC & BC require VHF radio inputs to FMS
❖ Approach minima are NEVER obtained from the FMS
❖ Know the aircraft certification minimums for RNAV
approaches
❖ Most approaches provide VNAV
❖ Generally, circle-to-land approaches will not provide
VNAV
❖ Review FPL for @ altitudes next to FAF and MAP
❖ AUTO arming will occur at 30 nm from MAP
❖ MANUAL arm if vectored to same approach after going
missed
❖ AUTO activation is recommended when flying the
approach transition
❖ AUTO activation at capture fix or two miles prior to FAF
❖ MANUAL activation is recommended for radar vectors to
final course
❖ MANUAL activation:
• Place aircraft on assigned heading
• Then manually activate approach