Greg Farris wrote in
:

The title just about says it - I've always wondered WHY many
non-precision approaches (not talking about LOC only here, but VOR,
VOR/DME, NDB etc) are not lined up with the runway heading. Sometimes
it looks as though the approach desginers have gone out of their way
to make sure the non-precision approach is just a few degrees off - as
if to say - "look stupid - this is not a precision approach . . ." But
if this were so, then we would have to wonder why SOME of these
approaches ARE lined up and straight-in. I'm surev there's a simple
explanation that will be pointed out here.

The term 'precision approach' refers to having vertical guidance (a
glideslope), not to the runway alignment. A precision approach does
have to be aligned relatively closely, but not precisely. I can't
recall the exact number of degrees off the top of my head, but it's not
exact. Even if a non-precision approach is perfectly aligned with the
runway, it's still a non-precision approach, because there is no
glideslope. An ILS without a glideslope, which becomes a localizer
approach, is a non-precision approach.

--
Regards,

Stan

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." B. Franklin