On Approach plates what is a Y vs. Z approach?

drotto

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Just looking over approach plate while training for my IFR and noticed some runways listing both a Y and Z approach. What is the difference between the two? Why the difference? Is there a reason to use one vs. the other?
 
Not an expert, but I believe when there are two or more RNAV approaches to the same runway, they are labeled that way. The FAA started at the back of the alphabet to hold down confusion between the RNAV approaches and the old VOR or NDB approaches, which are labeled A, B, etc.
 
They differentiate two different approaches that would otherwise have the same name. The Z, Y, X is used when the approach has a runway number. The letters A, B, C are used for circling approaches (e.g., VOR-A).

At SVH we had an old ILS 23 that had a hold-in-loo and then they added one with a TAA; so these needed the Y and. Z to tell apart.
 
Thanks for correcting me, Flyingron. I was remembering it a little wrong.
 
I did notice that some of the minimums etc. were different. Guess I was more unclear what would make you select one over the other.
 
There are a variety of reasons. In some cases different minimums. More recently I have seen ILS approaches re-written into Y and Z approaches based on whether the aircraft has GPS to identify certain fixes, often the FAF/GSI.
 
Though it's certainly not the only reason, a common one seems to be an LPV approach for one, and an LNAV-only approach for another (that isn't quite lined up with the runway or may have a turn at the FAF). For those cases I'm familiar with, the LNAV approach is a lot easier to get, due to surrounding traffic and perhaps noise abatement. The LPV approach usually has much lower minimums.
 
Just looking over approach plate while training for my IFR and noticed some runways listing both a Y and Z approach. What is the difference between the two? Why the difference? Is there a reason to use one vs. the other?
Normally (but not always) the Z approach will have lower minimums.
 
So what's the record. I've seen VOR based approaches as high as D, but never an E. And RNAV's as far back as X, but never a W.
 
Typically the Z approach was the one that was the existing one when the second one was added (which becomes Y).
 
So what's the record. I've seen VOR based approaches as high as D, but never an E. And RNAV's as far back as X, but never a W.
KDAL has two "W" approaches. I'm sure there are some others at some airports.
 
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