AOPA Pilot Blog: Reporting Points

Dan Johnson of bydanjohnson.com has an interesting chart on his blog today showing how monthly light sport aircraft sales spike, nearly double, after major trade shows such as Sun `n Fun and EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh. The monthly average of 38 registrations (an indicator of sales) doubles to 70 or even 88. At the moment registrations have dropped to 24 for last month, possibly an indicator of the state of the economy and the economic tension leading up to a major election.

Two large LSA distributors (one in Denton, Tex., the other in Salainas, Calif.) say, in general, that sales are well below what they had expected when they entered the business. But they believe sales will grow when the economy heals and both remain enthusiastic about the future of the LSA industry.

Cirrus Design sees its Cirrus SRS LSA as one of the best chances for attracting new customers, especially in an economic malaise.

My “On Final, On the Gauges” article in the August AOPA Pilot discussed IFR final approach procedures, and it apparently hit a nerve in the “holding in lieu of” department. My read of the AIM, as set out in AIM 5-4-9, is that you don’t need to make that trip around the holding pattern–even if it’s published in bold on the approach plate–as long as: No PT is on the chart, when you’re getting radar vectors to the final approach course, when you’re doing a timed approach from a holding fix. Anyone ever done a timed approach? Not me.

Member George Shanks wrote me to emphasize that most RNAV (GPS) approaches with the “T”-style entry paths to the FAF are also exempt from holding. “If the approach is in the “T” or inverted “L” format and fly-by waypoints are in use … it would not be necessary to use the course reversal pattern.”

Jose Riera has a good question: “If a holding pattern is depicted at the FAF, you are required to make one turn around before resuming your course inbound to the runway. Can you tell me why this is?”

Personally, I don’t know. Maybe it has to do with steering clear of obstacles or terrain. All I know is that most times you’ll be on vectors from ATC, and a hold-in-lieu-of PT would be unlikely. Which is good, because let’s face it, most of us just don’t want to hold …..

Anybody else with views on holding at the FAF?