When do they ask?

[akpilot907]

Question for all you Instrument pilots:

I'm in training and this question has been bugging me for quite some time.

While flying enroute to your destination airport, when does approach control ask you for the type of approach you would like.... Do they assign one for you... Or do you tell them.

I've been told not to put the type of approach you'd like to do on your flight plan..is this true?

Thanks

 

[RotorAndWing]

Question for all you Instrument pilots:

I'm in training and this question has been bugging me for quite some time.

While flying enroute to your destination airport, when does approach control ask you for the type of approach you would like.... Do they assign one for you... Or do you tell them.


Thanks

Usually on the ATIS you'll hear "ILS Runway 04 in use" or you will be told by the approach controller when checking in "Expect ILS Runway 04". If you want something different request it.

I've been told not to put the type of approach you'd like to do on your flight plan..is this true?

Thanks

True.

 

[akpilot907]

Thanks Rotor and Wing! Cheers..

 

[rbridges]

from my limited experience, they don't usually ask unless they know you are doing practice approaches and can accommodate you.

 

[roncachamp]

While flying enroute to your destination airport, when does approach control ask you for the type of approach you would like.... Do they assign one for you... Or do you tell them.

Any of the above. If ATIS is available it will indicate the approach or approaches in use. You can always request a different approach.

I've been told not to put the type of approach you'd like to do on your flight plan..is this true?

Is it true that you've been told not to put the type of approach you'd like on your flight plan? Only you can know that. You certainly can put it on your flight plan, it's just not particularly useful.

 

[roncachamp]

Usually on the ATIS you'll hear "ILS Runway 04 in use" or you will be told by the approach controller when checking in "Expect ILS Runway 04". If you want something different request it.

Shouldn't hear "runway zero four" on any ATIS in the US.

 

[flyingmoose]

Like Rotor said. But if you are going into a smaller non-controlled airport they many very well ask you what type of approach you want if they have multiple approaches to the same RW.

 

[RotorAndWing]

Shouldn't hear "runway zero four" on any ATIS in the US.

Probably not. Right now my flying is in Asia so that's what we hear.

As an example do you really think it makes that big of a difference? Or did my adding the "zero" change the meaning of the reply so that you couldn't understand it?

 

[flyingron]

Yep, nothing says you can't ask for what you want.

MWK: Expect the VOR RWY 9 approach.
27K: How about the RNAV RWY 9?
MWK: OK, expect the RNAV RWY 9 approach.

 

[roncachamp]

Probably not.

Definitely not.

Right now my flying is in Asia so that's what we hear.

Irrelevant.

As an example do you really think it makes that big of a difference? Or did my adding the "zero" change the meaning of the reply so that you couldn't understand it?

Relax. It was just a simple factual statement.

 

[RotorAndWing]

Relax. It was just a simple factual statement.

So was my reply to you.

Relax.

 

[roncachamp]

So was my reply to you.

Your statement, "Probably not", was factually incorrect.

 

[RotorAndWing]

Your statement, "Probably not", was factually incorrect.

My statement

As an example do you really think it makes that big of a difference? Or did my adding the "zero" change the meaning of the reply so that you couldn't understand it?

Is factually correct.

Now go play your silly games elsewhere.

 

[frfly172]

When going into an uncontrolled field with no atis the controller will usually ask which approach you want so they can vector you to the proper runway,also what rotor says .

 

[dell30rb]

Controlled Field - Usually an approach is assigned. You can always request something else though.

Uncontrolled - You typically need to request one. If you don't, you will start a back and forth conversation that goes something like:

Controller: "Mooney XXX Do you have the weather at your destination yet?"
Unprepared Pilot: "Uhh standby"
Unprepared Pilot: "Mooney XXX Has the weather at destination"
Controller: "Do you know what approach you would like? Confirm destination is TTA"
Unprepared Pilot: "Mooney XXX would like RNAV 21 approach, our destination is TTA"

What I do at my home uncontrolled field for example - is to pull up the AWOS about 20 minutes out and then say "raleigh approach, 68X with the weather at TTA. Request RNAV 21 approach" and that will typically get me cleared direct to the initial fix and a descent.

 

[akpilot907]

Thanks Ren! That's perfect information! Merći

 

[roncachamp]

My statement

As an example do you really think it makes that big of a difference? Or did my adding the "zero" change the meaning of the reply so that you couldn't understand it?

Is factually correct.

Your "statement":

As an example do you really think it makes that big of a difference? Or did my adding the "zero" change the meaning of the reply so that you couldn't understand it?

Is not a statement, they're questions. Statements are declarative, questions are interrogative.

Now go play your silly games elsewhere.

Sez who? Am I not as free as you are to post here?

Take some friendly advice; when you're in a hole it's best to stop digging.

 

[Ted]

All has been said already.

One thing I would point out to you as a student is to ask for whatever approach you want, don't settle on an inferior approach because it's what control wants. Examples:

- Straight-in instead of circling
- Precision instead of non
- Approach that will keep you out of a thunderstorm

 

[roncachamp]

One thing I would point out to you as a student is to ask for whatever approach you want, don't settle on an inferior approach because it's what control wants.

True, but understand that if control does want a particular approach there's probably a good reason and you may have to wait some time for a different one.

 

[Ted]

True, but understand that if control does want a particular approach there's probably a good reason and you may have to wait some time for a different one.

That may be true where you work, but I've never had any issues. I also spend a lot of my time over unpopulated lands.

The point is many pilots just accept a bad approach clearance and don't want to inconvenience the controller with a request.

 

[roncachamp]

That may be true where you work, but I've never had any issues. I also spend a lot of my time over unpopulated lands.

The point is many pilots just accept a bad approach clearance and don't want to inconvenience the controller with a request.

It's true at many airports, and when it's true it's generally due to the other traffic that will be inconvenienced, not the controller.

 

[Jeff Oslick]

If I'm expecting I'll want an approach that isn't typical for an airport, I'll clue in the controller by how I file the requested route. An example is KLHM (Lincoln, CA), where the most common approach is the ILS. I'm not fond of this approach, as I'm coming from the south, and the ILS takes me well north of where I want to be (up to Marysville), and LHM rarely has low enough weather to require the ILS. I usually want the GPS RWY 33 approach, so I file to the IAF for that approach, and I'll land either straight in or from a circling approach from the south. Usually saves around 15 minutes of flight time.

(Note that I only do the circling approach when the ceiling is far above the circling minimums, and I don't do circling approaches at night, except for practice in VMC at very familiar airports.)

 

[akpilot907]

If I'm expecting I'll want an approach that isn't typical for an airport, I'll clue in the controller by how I file the requested route. An example is KLHM (Lincoln, CA), where the most common approach is the ILS. I'm not fond of this approach, as I'm coming from the south, and the ILS takes me well north of where I want to be (up to Marysville), and LHM rarely has low enough weather to require the ILS. I usually want the GPS RWY 33 approach, so I file to the IAF for that approach, and I'll land either straight in or from a circling approach from the south. Usually saves around 15 minutes of flight time.

(Note that I only do the circling approach when the ceiling is far above the circling minimums, and I don't do circling approaches at night, except for practice in VMC at very familiar airports.)

Thanks Jeff! Noted.. Nice to hear how each person does something differently, good to compare and choose the best way!

 

[midlifeflyer]

Like Rotor said. But if you are going into a smaller non-controlled airport they many very well ask you what type of approach you want if they have multiple approaches to the same RW.

LOL. I was flying into KPVG on an IFR flight plan and was asked which approach I wanted. I replied, "I'll take the RNAV one-zero since it's the only one to the airport."

He chuckled. I'm pretty sure he was including the visual among the choices.

Going back to the OP, for towered fields, it's typically on the ATIS. For non-towered fields, you might get an "expect" based on the winds or an inquiry about what you want. How far out depends on the airspace, the ATC facility and the controller.

ATIS or AWOS or Datalink, as soon as I have some idea what runway I'll be using, I pull up and brief the appropriate approach, ready to request what I want if assigned something else.

 

[jordane93]

they dont usually ask what approach you want.like others have said the atis will say ils 36 in use. if you want lets saythe vor or gps ino 36 just request it and they will usually give you vectors for the approach

 

[coma24]

If it's a busy airport, asking for an approach to the same runway as the one in use is not likely to be a big issue. Asking for a runway that goes against the flow might result in some delay.

 

[jonnyjetprop]

Everything said here is spot on. Normally I'm asked what approach I want at smaller airports and if there's an ATIS, use the approach in use.

Sometimes, when there is very little traffic, you'll get the "cleared approach" which authorizes you to fly any proceedure.

We'd get that flying cargo at night and flying into more remote parts of Canada.