Whenever a sponsor is considering introducing a new Instrument Flight Procedure or amending/withdrawing an existing one (or part of one) they should contact us before commencement of any project activity to obtain a full understanding of what is required of all parties involved in the process.
Pre-requisites
The following will need to be put in place to achieve a timely and cost efficient project:
- An up-to date obstacle survey. The detailed obstacle survey requirements needed for Instrument Flight Procedure Design are contained in CAP 232 - Aerodrome Survey Requirements. It is the project sponsor's responsibility to ensure that the contracted Procedure Designer is provided with the most up-to-date survey data suitable for the type of procedure required. This will include surveyed positions for any new navigational aids installed.
- A sensible timeframe for the project that takes into account all external activities such as the design activity, regulatory approval, flight checking and flight validation, chart production and the AIRAC promulgation cycle.
- Early identification of the possible need for utilising the Airspace Change Process, details of which are found in CAP 1616. New published tracks, new or re-aligned holds or significant changes to the vertical profile of a procedure may all require some form of public consultation.
Once the decision to proceed has been made, the sponsor should formally notify us of the project using DAP 1916 - Notification of Intended Airspace Change Proposal or Procedure Design Activity. This will ensure a CAA case officer is allocated to the project.
What else do I need to know?
The detailed requirements for Approval of Instrument Flight Procedures are set out in CAP 785 - Approval Requirements for Instrument Flight Procedures for Use in UK Airspace.
How do I apply?
The new/amended designs, together with all supporting documentation and payment should be submitted using form DAP 1917 - Application for Approval of a PANS-OPS designed Instrument Flight Procedure. Details of the charges payable for the approval of each procedure can be found on the form and in the Official Record Series 5 - CAA Scheme of Charges (Instrument Flight Procedures).
Form DAP 1917 has been designed to cater for both an individual procedure or an entire aerodrome project.
In that respect it will only ever require 1 x Code A cost. All other codes are on the basis of each individual IFP:
Example 1:
3 x ILS, 3 x LOC Only, 1 x Hold, 1 x SID and 1 x STAR
3 x Code B, 3 x Code D, 1 x Code E and 2 x Code H
Example 2:
1 x ILS, 2 x SBAS, 1 x Baro-VNAV, 2 x LNAV
= 1 x Code B, 3 x Code C and 2 x Code D
What happens next?
Once we have confirmed that the new/revised design meets the requirements of CAP 785, the procedure will be forwarded to the project sponsor for subsequent submission of the UK AIP Change Request Form , following which NATS AIS will promulgate the procedure in the UK AIP.
It should be noted that the time period for this activity in CAP 785 should be taken as a minimum period and that whilst we will strive to complete the approval process as quickly as possible this cannot be guaranteed. Project sponsors should ensure that there is as much flexibility as possible built into the project at this crucial stage.
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