IFR GPS certification

M wrote:
I made the same decision against getting a IFR GPS and statyed with /U
on my plane. I did get a Garmin 196 and it works fabulously along with
my onboard VOR on IFR flights. I made this choice because nearly all
the airports that I fly IFR into have ILS.

Nothing wrong with this but more and more airports are getting GPS
approaches for the opposite and crossing directions to the ILS runways.

So if the wind doesn't work for the ILS runway you can make a straight
in approach instead the more dangerous circle to land from the ILS
option; lower minimums to boot.

Doug Carter wrote:

So if the wind doesn't work for the ILS runway you can make a straight
in approach instead the more dangerous circle to land from the ILS
option; lower minimums to boot.

I haven't done a survey, but my impression is that the average straight in GPS
approach has higher minimums than the average ILS circling approach. I agree I'd
rather land straight in if possible, though.

DGB

Dave Butler wrote:
Doug Carter wrote:

So if the wind doesn't work for the ILS runway you can make a straight
in approach instead the more dangerous circle to land from the ILS
option; lower minimums to boot.


I haven't done a survey, but my impression is that the average straight
in GPS approach has higher minimums than the average ILS circling
approach. I agree I'd rather land straight in if possible, though.

DGB

You may be correct but I looked at about a dozen airports in the
Southwest and in all cases the GPS approach was lower than the ILS
circling minimums.

Now that I think of it, I was looking at actual LNAV approaches, not
GPS overlays of NDB or VOR approaches. This could be a difference.

Interestingly enough, it seems that on the days when the ceiling/vis is
low enough to make circling approach difficult are also likely to be
the days when the wind is either very light or lined up with the ILS
straight-in direction.




Nothing wrong with this but more and more airports are getting GPS
approaches for the opposite and crossing directions to the ILS
runways.

So if the wind doesn't work for the ILS runway you can make a
straight
in approach instead the more dangerous circle to land from the ILS
option; lower minimums to boot.