Counting instrument approaches

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Steven
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Counting instrument approaches

Post by Steven »

I went up to do my 6-in-6 approaches for currency with a safety pilot today. I had tried several times in the past few weeks to get an "actual" approach in, but it seems nearly impossible. My understanding is that for an approach to count it has to be flown in IMC down to the FAF. At my airport it is a pretty narrow window between 1000' and not getting in. And not being able to get home is obviously a giant hassle. As a result nearly all of my logged approaches have been in simulated IMC or in a simulator, except for a few lucky approaches in actual.

How do the rest of you get your approaches in?
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Chris B
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Re: Counting instrument approaches

Post by Chris B »

Steven wrote:My understanding is that for an approach to count it has to be flown in IMC down to the FAF.
AFAIK, close. Some IMC at/after the FAF.
Steven wrote:At my airport it is a pretty narrow window between 1000' and not getting in.
I am confused. The RNAV FAF (CUPUG) at OWD is 1700, and even the LNAV is 600 (LPV is 350). :scratch:
Steven wrote:How do the rest of you get your approaches in?
Out on the left coast, a quite common marine layer makes it relatively easy to generate an IMC approach for brunch. :D

Winter is sometimes a little more challenging due to MEAs that often have ice, but presumably nothing like the Northeast.

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Re: Counting instrument approaches

Post by TJS »

I count every instrument approach to minimum, most VMC. I log every filed IFR flight. Clouds or no clouds.
I would never keep current otherwise. Too many cold days with ice and summer TCUs. I got may rating without any actual instrument approaches I presume i can stay current the same way.
Love to hear what others think.
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blsewardjr
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Re: Counting instrument approaches

Post by blsewardjr »

In 2015 the FAA legal counsel issued a letter addressing logging instrument approaches -- https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviatio ... O15012.pdf
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Steven
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Re: Counting instrument approaches

Post by Steven »

Chris B wrote:
Steven wrote:At my airport it is a pretty narrow window between 1000' and not getting in.
I am confused. The RNAV FAF (CUPUG) at OWD is 1700, and even the LNAV is 600 (LPV is 350). :scratch:

Chris
I'm actually at KLWM not KOWD anymore, thanks for the reminder to update my profile. :) Maybe I've been interpreting the guidance too strictly. I've been thinking that to count as IMC for the approaches ceilings need to be no higher than 1000 AGL. And to use your example, it's hard to find a day that's below 1000 and comfortably above 600, given that I can't hang out at the airport every day.

And yes winter is another issue. Last year I had to cancel a flight due to forecast icing at 3000'. In May. :cry:
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Steven
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Re: Counting instrument approaches

Post by Steven »

blsewardjr wrote:In 2015 the FAA legal counsel issued a letter addressing logging instrument approaches -- https://www.faa.gov/other_visit/aviatio ... O15012.pdf
Yes, this is what I have been going by. This is much better than the common belief prior to 2015 that all loggable approaches had to be in IMC to minimums. It never made sense to me how that interpretation would be practical.
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Steven
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Re: Counting instrument approaches

Post by Steven »

TJS wrote:I count every instrument approach to minimum, most VMC. I log every filed IFR flight. Clouds or no clouds.
I would never keep current otherwise. Too many cold days with ice and summer TCUs. I got may rating without any actual instrument approaches I presume i can stay current the same way.
Love to hear what others think.
I suspect this is what many people do.
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Re: Counting instrument approaches

Post by CFIDave »

To maintain instrument currency (by flying practice approaches "under the hood" in VMC), It helps to be married to a safety pilot. :)
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Steven
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Re: Counting instrument approaches

Post by Steven »

CFIDave wrote:To maintain instrument currency (by flying practice approaches "under the hood" in VMC), It helps to be married to a safety pilot. :)
Are you proposing? :shock:
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Re: Counting instrument approaches

Post by CFIDave »

Steven wrote:
CFIDave wrote:To maintain instrument currency (by flying practice approaches "under the hood" in VMC), It helps to be married to a safety pilot. :)
Are you proposing? :shock:
My safety pilot I married more than 30 years ago has her Instrument Multiengine Commercial license -- making it really convenient for each of us to maintain Instrument currency. :thumbsup:
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