The Overseas Territories Aviation Requirements (OTARs) treat approval of Instrument Approach Procedures (IAPs) as part of the aerodrome certification process giving ownership of the procedures to the aerodrome certificate holder. A related approval requirement means approval of all the IAP navigational aids must be in place before the IAP itself can be approved.
There are a number of key elements to the design and approval process:
- A full Survey of all of the areas relevant to the IAP footprint, to World Geodetic System 84 (WGS 84) criteria, is the starting point with results provided to the IAP designer in a useable format.
- The IAP designer will need to:
- be suitably qualified (by training and experience) to design IAPs to International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards, using such documents as ICAO Doc 8168 as reference
- work within a Quality Management System (QMS) which includes a verification process
- identify safeguarding requirements for aerodrome and navigational aids
- take account of environmental considerations.
- Both ground and airborne equipment needs to be suitable and approved.
- Training will have to be provided for flight crews, air traffic controllers and engineers.
- Flight crew and Air Traffic Services will need documented procedures covering use and limitations of the IAP.
- Any runway approach IAP must be supported by an appropriate instrument runway strip and appropriate approach and runway lighting.
- All IAPs need to be flight checked (by suitably qualified personnel) for:
- flyability - this check should allow for a single-crew pilot using the minimum Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) fit to the aircraft and within the speed ranges of the IAP design
- obstacles within the IAP design area
- lighting (including Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) alignment)
- runway markings.
- Once the design is complete and the IAP approved, then the relevant, ICAO-standard charts have to be published in the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP).
- All terrestrial navigational aids used by an IAP have to provide an adequate signal in space - this should be included in the routine calibration flight check.