✈️ Aviation Brief — Issue #60
Weekly insights for student pilots and the instructors who train them.
THIS WEEK'S TOPIC
IA.III.C — Instrument Arrival (Instrument Rating ACS)
1. ACS STANDARDS SUMMARY
The Instrument ACS (IA.III.C) expects the applicant to explain the purpose of an instrument arrival procedure (including a STAR), select and load the current arrival from the database or chart, and comply with all published altitudes, airspeeds, and routing. The pilot must accept, read back, and execute ATC “descend via” clearances when issued, maintain assigned altitudes within ±100 feet and airspeeds within ±10 knots, and transition smoothly to the approach segment without being rushed or high.
2. THREE COMMON STUDENT MISTAKES
- Skipping a full briefing of the arrival chart and missing crossing altitudes or speed restrictions until ATC issues a late correction.
- Keeping the aircraft too fast until the final waypoints, then forcing an abrupt level-off or steep descent that destabilizes the approach.
- Failing to verify the correct arrival is loaded or activated in the GPS/FMS, resulting in flying direct to the wrong initial fix or missing a required turn.
3. CFI PRO TIP
Have the student brief the entire arrival out loud on the ground using the actual chart before every practice flight. This single habit forces them to see every altitude and speed restriction in sequence and reduces last-minute surprises once they’re airborne and talking to ATC.
4. SAFETY SPOTLIGHT
NTSB reviews of RNAV arrival events continue to show altitude deviations at waypoints where crews misread “at or below” versus “at” restrictions. In several ASRS reports, pilots accepted “descend via” clearances but failed to confirm the lowest published altitude at each fix, resulting in controlled flight toward terrain or traffic conflicts below the segment.
5. DID YOU KNOW
Many busy airports publish multiple STARs that share the same name but end at different initial approach fixes. Always confirm the full name—including the transition and runway-specific version—with ATC so the correct procedure loads in the navigation system.
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