Homer Simpson moment...I read GPS and thought "no problem."

Really, AWAC can't shoot GPS approaches? Granted I think I shot maybe five my entire time at C5, and only for fun, but still.

 

True. But they can use it in lieu of a VOR that is OTS.

 

The precision approaches were out for 15/33 and the runways were closed. The VORTAC was U/S, but never picked up an identifier or any indications from it.
In order for us to go in there (C-130J), we ended up having to file IFR to a point, then cnx, and fly VFR for a visual straight-in. No contact approach available either.
It's surprising that CHS doesn't have a radar approach, and that TACC would send us in there, with poor weather and no instrument approaches. Oh wait, no its not.

 

Interesting that this made it into the forum.

I was one of those having to divert to CAE. Able and ready to do the RNAV (LNAV) to 03 but had a couple of factors against us.

1. Vis reported as 2 miles on surface but trend was down. Needed 1 and 3/8 for our RNAV approach.

2. Ceiling was trending down. Original forecast at departure was good but by 45 minutes out it was barely above our mins. By 20 minutes out it had gone down to half of our RNAV approach ceiling minimum (Min was 595 - reporting 300). It was a solid overcast.

In the end it was a combination of the low ceiling and just enough fuel to go around and make it to the alternate that caused the divert. They were still reporting 2 miles but if you can't break out, it won't matter. At the time we diverted, there were four other aircraft in holding at CHS trying to get in.

BTW, even if the VOR was working we probably couldn't have made it in. Sometimes Mother Nature just doesn't cooperate!

Pax were bussed to CHS.

 

Not true for the US Airways Express (Piedmont) Dash 8-100s. The best they have is the 1980s RNAV system that acquires an initial position using Radial/DME from a single VOR/DME or VORTAC, and then advances to DME/DME position calculations using multiple VOR/DME or VORTAC stations.

No GPS or IRS for navigation enhancement. There are GPS signals received and utilized by other aircraft systems (EGPWS, TAMDAR), but none of them are passed along to the RNAV for position calculation or navigation purposes.

 

IIRC (its been five years so I'm probably wrong), VOR approaches can be flown "white needle" FMS NAV but you have to have a pointer up with the ground based nav, in this case the VOR. The PM display might have to be "green needle" ground-based nav, but I don't remember.

VOR OTS, no pointer, no able approach.

When I left AWAC, it was kind of befuddling to me that the 25 year Citation II with single KLN-90B I was flying could fly RNAV approaches but a <10 year old CRJ-200 with single FMS-4200 could not.

 

It's that way for us too, and I'm flying 747's and MD-11's

 

Yep, that's how I remember it too. Can use white needles, but the bearing pointer needs to be up as well. I remember going through initial at AWAC and thinking that it was stupid that they didn't allow for RNAV approaches in there op specs. Get in the 20th century for pete's sake!

 

This is still true. My original post was about using the gps in lieu of the VOR for the missed approach portion of the ILS.

I missed in the second post that the ILS was out of service. Sorry... Musta been a bit of jetlag!

 

The short side of long range...