13.5. Adding an RNAV Approach to the plan

AvPlan allows Premium subscribers to add an RNAV (GNSS) Approach to a Flight Plan. This is easily accomplished by using the drag and drop technique to insert the Initial Approach Fix (IAF) of an RNAV approach prior to the terminal waypoint in the plan.

!Adding an RNAV approach to a plan should be performed after the plan has been submitted. Submitting a plan with an RNAV approach will cause the approach points to be submitted, which may cause the plan to be rejected.

The drag and drop method of waypoint insertion can be used on any chart; whether VFR or IFR, or on the Approach plate itself. It may be helpful to turn on show IFR waypoints in the Map Overlays menu to aid in selecting the desired IAF waypoint.

*Before adding an RNAV approach to the plan it may be helpful to define a User Waypoint at a location, for example, 25nm before the destination on the inbound track. This has been done in the following example. If created, the user waypoint should ideally not be added to the Flight Plan until after plan submission.

Step 1 (Optional). Add a waypoint to the inbound track

By adding a User Waypoint about 25 miles out from the destination we allow AvPlan to create a sensible looking route from that point to the RNAV IAF. Otherwise, when we insert the RNAV the track line will be drawn to the IAF from wherever the previous waypoint was. If this is a long way from the 25 mile point, then the track line may not be sensible.

Step 2. Drag a point on the inbound track close to the location of the desired RNAV IAF

In this case we have dragged the track line to MIAEC; the Echo Charlie IAF of the Mildura 27 RNAV

Step 3. Confirm selection of the IAF waypoint

The waypoint dialogue box will offer a list of waypoints near the “dropped” location. Hit the button to add the desired waypoint to the plan.

Step 4. Confirm the RNAV Approach

At this point AvPlan will automatically offer to insert the chosen RNAV. To confirm that this is the desired action, simply tap on the approach name. If the intention is to only add the IAF, without the Intermediate Fix (IF), the Final Fix (FAF) and the Missed Approach Point (MAPt), then tap on Cancel.

The RNAV approach is inserted into the plan.

AvPlan inserts the rest of the RNAV Approach into the plan starting at the selected IAF, and draws it on the chart.

*Note 1. AvPlan does not behave like the GNSS Navigator in your instrument panel; it does not LOAD and ACTIVATE approaches. AvPlan simply inserts the approach into the flight plan at the point you choose.

*Note 2. Missed Approach Holding Fixes (MAHFs) are not added to the flight plan.