RNAV SID's and STAR's

[Tony Forrest]

It has come to my attention that there are many new SID and STAR procedures out there for RNAV equipt aircraft. This is great as it facilitates some track shortening for arrivals or departures into our busier airports.

Pilots:
Make sure you file your flight plan with the correct equiptment code. There is nothing worse from a controllers end issuing a RNAV STAR and then find that the aircraft is only equipt with conventional IFR equiptment (ie a VOR and NDB reciever). Make sure your database is up to date, and good airmanship would dictate that you check your navigation data prior to the commencement of a flight to ensure that you have the anticipated SID/STAR/Enroute Waypoints. This comes from good pre-flight preparation.

Any aircraft with the following codes should be capable to fly a 'SID' or a 'STAR'.

    * /C - Simple RNAV, Transponder no mode C
    * /I - Simple RNAV, Transponder with mode C
    * /E - Advance RNAV, Mode C, Dual FMS
    * /F - Advance RNAV, Single FMS
    * /G - Advance RNAV, GNSS (GPS)
    * /R - Advance RNAV + RNP
    * /W - Has codes /E, /F, /G + RVSM
    * /Q - Has code /R + RVSM


Air Traffic Controllers
If the pilot has filed with the correct equiptment code you should have no issues in ascertaining what equiptment the aircraft has inside it. Remember any RNAV equipt aircraft can fly a RNAV SID/STAR however there are sometimes additional requirements to be able to fly a RNAV approach. Please use the aircraft equiptment code list above to determine if the RNAV procedure can/cannot be flown. If there is no alternate STAR arrival that uses Navaids (conventional means) then alternate routing must be provided by the ATC. This may include Radar Control, providing vectors to a Intermediate Approach Fix to commence and instrument approach, alternate routing etc.

Wellington is a perfect example.
A small twin-engine aircraft arriving from Cape Campbell NDB for NZWN. This aircraft is non-RNAV equipt therefore there is no STAR arrival which the aircraft can fly. Alternate routing is required. If runway 34 is in use then a heading of 040 from CC NDB would be a good heading to fly to intercept finals of the ILS34. If 16 was the active, routing to Titahi Bay could be an option.

A small effort on everyones behalf will help things run more smoothly. Remember AVIATE, NAVIGATE, COMMUNICATE...Not COMMUNICATE, NAVIGATE, AVIATE as is aparent sometimes.

Any questions please email vatnz3@vatnz.net

_________________
Leon Gibbs
VATNZ 3 - Training Director
NZ CPL, MEIR, C-Cat
Southern Wings NZNV