Roy Smith wrote:
In article .com,
wrote:


Now let me ask a question. What if ATC clears you direct to the VOR
and then clears you for the "straight-in" approach? Isn't the
controller's instruction in conflict with the AIM? Who wins,
hypothetically speaking (say you can't contact him for clarification)?


I had almost exactly this same situation happen the other day with NY
Approach. We were coming into White Plains (HPN) from the north, IFR.
Controller gave us something like, "direct FARAN, cleared ILS-16". FARAN's
not an IAF, the route from FARAN inbound is not marked NoPT, we hasn't
giving us vectors. By strict interpretation of the rules, he gave us a bum
clearance. On the other hand, not only did I know that he wanted us to fly
the approach straight-in, but there was no practical reason why anything
else would make any sense, so we did it.

The bottom line is that the AIM just hasn't caught up with real life.

Not exactly. The following was added to the AIM recently. Note that it
is limited to RNAV IAPs. There were lenghty discussions within FAA and
with industry. It was at first proposed to permit the practice for all
instrument approach procedures with an intermediate fix, and limit it to
GPS or advanced RNAV aircraft. FAA's ATC management nixed the idea
for conventional, ground-based IAPs.

So, it isn't really the AIM not staying up with the "real world," it's
the real world inventing its own rules.


5-4-7 i. ATC may clear aircraft that have filed an Advanced RNAV
equipment suffix to the intermediate fix when clearing aircraft for an
instrument approach procedure. ATC will take the following actions when
clearing Advanced RNAV aircraft to the intermediate fix:
1. Provide radar monitoring to the intermediate fix.
2. Advise the pilot to expect clearance direct to the intermediate fix
at least 5 miles from the fix.
NOTE-
This is to allow the pilot to program the RNAV equipment to allow the
aircraft to fly to the intermediate fix when cleared by ATC.
3. Assign an altitude to maintain until the intermediate fix.
4. Insure the aircraft is on a course that will intercept the
intermediate segment at an angle not greater than 90 degrees and is at
an altitude that will permit normal descent from the intermediate fix to
the final approach fix.