No-Gyro Approach Questions

[Nelson L.]

So just for fun I've been doing some reading on no-gyro approaches (no instrument training, if you're wondering about the questions I'm about to ask). I'm confused about when a controller is allowed to give a no-gyro approach. Basically the way I understand it is that any controller can give you no-gyro vectors, but only tower can give a no-gyro approach? And in the case of a complete electrical and flight indicator failure, I read that to receive a no-gyro approach the facility needs to have a published ASR approach? So if the field doesn't have an ASR radar, what happens then? For some reason I doubt the pilot is left hanging... Also, if atc is expecting standard rate turns, what happens if the turn indicator also fails?

I seem to recall Keith saying that PE controllers can give no-gyro approaches? Because if that's true I'm gonna do some more reading, and the next time the network is quiet...

[Shawn Goldsworthy]

If you were in a situation with a full vacuum AND electrical failure, you're going to have a hard time communicating with ATC because your comm radios and transponder are out too.

Modern technology has put many toys in our hand. In addition to the instruments in the plane, we have GPS with full approach capabilities, things like Foreflight on our iPad's/tablets and smartphones. If you were ever in a situation where you lost EVERY SINGLE one of these tools and you're in solid IMC........ you're going to have a bad day. Having nothing but airspeed, altitude, VSI and a magnetic compass in solid IMC is not going to work out well. You'd just have to do your best to keep your wings level and get the hell out of the clouds and go somewhere that's VFR. I'd be more concerned about getting on the ground alive than trying to fly an approach somewhere. You are in a full blown emergency if that's the case.

That said, Pilotedge can provide non-gyro vectors. "N123SX turn right now..........stop turn now". But you need to be able to fly a standard rate one turn, which you need a turn coordinator for (not to mention the ability to communicate with ATC).

Pilotedge cannot support ASR/PAR approaches. PAR actually requires a special radar scope to do it. These are generally military procedures and I honestly don't know of anyone in the civilian world that has actually flown one (that wasn't for practice)

[HRutila]

A no-gyro vector is simply a timed turn. At standard rate, an aircraft turns 360 degrees in 2 minutes, or 180 in 1 minute, or 90 in .5 minute, and so on. The controller may either use a timer to issue a no-gyro vector, using the phraseology "Start turn" and "stop turn." The controller may also "eyeball it," using the radar display to determine when the aircraft has turned to the desired heading.

For an surveillance approach to be conducted, there must be "radar approach minimums" published for the airport. These approaches are surveyed by TERPS to ensure they are obstruction free, just like they would survey any other instrument approach. This is partially what's causing many surveillance approaches to be decommissioned. The FAA would rather spend the money on approaches that are used more often.

An on-site ASR or PAR is required to conduct a non-precision surveillance approach. At many of the airports where these are conducted, a tower has an approach control (TRACON) associated with it. The tower must be open in order for this service to be provided.