Pilots Briefing Room

San Jose, Costa Rica
SJO/MROC

ILS 07

OVERVIEW

Airfield elevation is 3021 ft amsl with significant terrain in the area.

DESCENT

High ground in all quadrants particularly from NE to SE. Mount Barva is a volcano situated only 10 nm NE of the airfield and is over 9,000 feet amsl. There is additional higher ground about 30 nm E of the airfield.

APPROACH

Instrument arrivals to RWY 07 only, with visual manoeuvring available to 25.

RUNWAY AND AIRPORT FACILITIES

PAPIs available for RWY 07 only.

Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
SFJ/BGSF

LOC DME 09

OVERVIEW

The airport at Kangerlussuaq is located near the west coast of Greenland, at the head of Sondrestrom Fjord, about 90 miles east of the coast line. The fjord is orientated generally southwest-northeast, is approximately 1 nm wide and rises to approximately 2,000 feet amsl at either side.. The main portion of the Greenland Ice Cap begins about 30 miles to the east of the field, rising to an elevation of about 6,000 feet one hundred miles to the east.

WEATHER

Prevailing wind is easterly at 5-10 kt. Winds from the northeast are off the Ice Cap, thus are cool and dry, and are nearly always accompanied by excellent visibility. Winds up the fjord from the southwest are more moist but it is rare that the airfield is closed due to low cloud or poor visibility. Winds are generally light, averaging from 6 to 10 kts and not usually exceeding 20 kts. Winds of 35 to 60 kts occur only rarely. A light surface wind may be accompanied by strong winds and considerable turbulence a few hundred feet above the ground.

Low visibility is mostly associated with precipitation of some type; the snow season is September to April.

Dense fog is seldom experienced, and then usually in connection with precipitation. Pure radiation fog is very unusual. Advection fog occurs frequently in the fjord itself, but will seldom reach the airport because of its inland location. It is very unusual for the ceiling to be less than 5,000 feet or the visibility less than seven miles unless it is raining or snowing. Kangerlussuaq has a very low frequency of conditions of ceiling below 300 feet and/or visibility below one mile.

DESCENT

Caution: DME-DME updating is limited in this region, expect FMS Map shift.

APPROACH

Rwy 09 – The missed approach climb gradient required for the MKR LOC DME approach to Rwy 10 is 5%.
Reported surface wind may not reflect a tailwind on final approach.

Rwy 27 – No instrument approaches due to terrain.
Expect downdraughts during the visual circuit.

RUNWAY AND AIRPORT FACILITIES

Rwy 10 has a marked upslope on the first 3000 ft, however ‘Distance to Go’ numerals in thousand of feet are provided.
Caution: Wild Caribou in the vicinity of the airfield.
RFF is adequate for all types when used as an ETOPS alternate.
Communications between the Flight Deck and Ground agents may be via VHF, instead of using the flight interphone.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

The listed operating hours are Summer 0900-2100, Winter 1000-2200 UTC, however the airfield is is available within 60 minutes (usually less) in an emergency and therefore qualifies as an ETOPS Adequate airport H24. Contact Sondrestrom Information to activate the airfield out of hours.

Magnetic variation is approximately 35 degrees west (2007). Surface winds passed by ATC or on ATIS are in degrees magnetic, all other winds are in degrees true.

St. Thomas I., Virgin Islands
STT/TIST

ILS 10/Cirling 28

OVERVIEW

The island of St. Thomas rises steeply from the sea with hilly terrain located to the North and East of the Airfield. The highest point of the island is 1795ft 1.2 nmls North of the runway.
Flocks of large birds are common in the vicinity of the airport.
ILS coding weak and only receivable when close to the localiser.
Exercise caution – extensive VFR traffic.

DESCENT

Radar descent and vectoring to an ILS by SAN JUAN control.

APPROACH

The approach is over water with high ground to the left of the approach path. Northerly winds can create a potential for turbulence and low level wind shear. Pilots may encounter false illusory indications during night approaches when using outside visual cues for vertical  guidance. Use of ILS glide slope and frequent cross reference to aircraft altimeter recommended to maintain proper approach profile.

Rwy 10 – Right hand traffic pattern. MIRL pilot activated on 118.8. PAPI’s set at 3°. REILs.

RUNWAY AND AIRPORT FACILITIES

Runways and taxiways are of asphalt construction. Use gate numbers painted on the ramp, NOT those on the building. Caution with vehicles and equipment parked on edge by ramp.
Ramp co-ordinates – N1820.1 W06458.3

TAKE-OFF & DEPARTURE

Rwy 28 Preferential runway. All turns for take-off should be to the LEFT to avoid damage to buildings across the road from the eastern end of the runway.

Kelowna, BC Canada
YLW/CYLW

OVERVIEW

Kelowna Airport is located in the Okanogan Valley in south central British Columbia. The airfield elevation is 1,409ft ASL and there is significant mountainous terrain in all quadrants with the highest being 8,700ft to the S and SE of the field. The runway is 16/34 which is aligned with the north-south orientation of the valley in that area. The airport is located on the north end of the city of Kelowna and just east of Okanogan Lake

DESCENT

The Kelowna instrument approach procedures have a transition from the Princeton VOR (YDC) or the Kamloops NDB to a DME arc via TOSUS. Vancouver centre will normally clear the flight to proceed direct to TOSUS at 9,000ft and then to Kelowna airport “for an approach”. Ensure that all MSAs and step-down fixes are respected during the descent to landing.

APPROACH

ILS DME 1 RWY 16 has a steeper than normal glideslope angle of 3.2^0.

RUNWAY AND AIRPORT FACILITIES

Runway is approximately 60m wide with a slight down slope from north to south.

Note should be taken of the taxiway restrictions on Jeppesen chart 11-1.