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Is it acceptable in real world flying to....


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You are flying VFR to an airport which has published STAR procedures. Is it acceptable in real world flying to fly a route VFR and when getting near the destination airport request a STAR approach and landing ?

Either to practice the STAR procedure or to avoid doing a VFR pattern approach.

Regards to all....

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The STAR isn't to avoid the traffic pattern, and it's not a landing procedure -- it is strictly a path to follow into a busy terminal area. If the field has a STAR, it generally will also have an approach control and a tower, in which case you would follow their instructions -- it's quite possible that you could follow a STAR, then be given a clearance to, say, enter a left downwind to enter the pattern. Certainly you can explain to approach what you'd like to do, and you might get approval to follow that path, but it's ATC dependent. You'd be best served asking for that during a light traffic period, perhaps after midnight, depending on the field.

 

Note that STARs are normally used as an IFR procedure. So to practice that procedure, you'd usually need to get out a ways and file IFR and request the STAR you want.

 

Of course in the sim you may do as you wish.

 

Larry N.

As Skylab would say:

Remember: Aviation is NOT an exact Science!

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  • 1 month later...
In the UK we have VRPs (Visual Reporting Points) at the edge of the airport airspace, to which you fly and then report in for routing and landing instructions.

- Paul Elliott

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

Come and follow my recreation of this historic light here: HERE

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Those VFR Reporting Points are around the U.S. too (even flagged on sectional charts), but the OP was specifically asking about STARS, which normally are used for IFR.

 

Larry N.

As Skylab would say:

Remember: Aviation is NOT an exact Science!

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You won't be able to request a STAR from a VFR arrival, normally. The STAR is an integral part of the IFR approach, for IFR -equipped aircraft and trained and licensed pilots.

 

But if you are using such an aircraft and have such a skillset why would you NOT be flying IFR..?

 

But there are co-incident STARs that are basically the same as the VFR approach, at least in the odd place in the UK, but it would be exceptional.

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  • 2 months later...

All the above answers are correct, but to add a little clarity it is not necessary to have filed IFR in advance. As long as you are instrument rated and in an IFR equiped aircraft you can essentially file airborne my making the request with ATC at any time. They will respond with words to the effect of "cleared to ___, via the ___ arrival, squak ___." Voila, you are now operating under IFR!

 

You will subsequently need to inform them of the type of approach you would like, ILS, visual, etc.

 

Or, when you've had enough, you can just cancel IFR.

 

The fact that you are asking the question in this manner indicates you may not be instrument rated. No slam intended, just wondering because there may be another option... Of course this depends on how busy the controllers and airspace are, (and how cooperative they are) but you may simply be able to request to fly the arrival procedure under VFR for practice.

 

The important thing is to be clear in you communication. For example, "(callsign) request to fly the ___ arrival under VFR with flight following." They can always say no...

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