"Baron Man" wrote in news:E0Iqc.130638$WA4.21924
@twister.nyc.rr.com:

1. what's a VDP and how does one compute it.

This is in the AIM Chapter 5. The missed approach point of most
nonprecision approaches are at or past the runway location, making it
impossible to descend and land if you sight the runway at the missed
approach point. For this reason, a visual descent point (VDP) is sometimes
designated using a normal desent angle (typically 3 deg). It is intended to
provides terrain clearance below the MDA. It also means that if you don't
see the runway by the time you reach the VDP, you should start getting
ready for the missed approach procedure.


2. how many phases of an approach (IAP) and how do you tell each from
the
other

Initial Approach Segment, Intermediate Approach Segment, Final Approach
Segment and Missed Approach Segment. This is just a guess.


3. what's a GRID MORA
Don't know, but I suspect you are referring to Off Route Obstacle Clearance
Altitude (OROCA), which are the large bold numbers in each lat/lon
quadrant. It gives you 1000' obstruction clearance.