April 16, 2015
To optimize the airspace surrounding Montana’s Billings Logan International Airport (BIL), four new RNAV standard terminal arrival routes (STARs) will take effect April 30.
Bob Lamond, NBAA’s director of air traffic services and infrastructure, noted that while not applicable to the majority of business aircraft operators, there will be new RNAV/RNP approach procedures that tie into each of the new STARs.
With each new STAR, the FAA created a city pair between Billings International and a departure airport that anchors a geographic region. Each of the STARs will have one en route transition, except for CRAZI1 (CRAZI ONE), which will guide aircraft bound for Billings from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and Portland International Airport (PDX), and other airports to the west and northwest. That will have three en route transitions.
BGHRN1 (BIGHORN ONE) will guide aircraft inbound from Denver International Airport (DEN) and other southeastern airports. KUSTR1 (CUSTER ONE) will guide Billings-bound aircraft that depart from Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport (MSP) and other airports to the northeast. Lastly, YLSTN1 (YELLOWSTONE ONE) will guide aircraft from Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) and other airports southwest of Billings.
Each new STAR will have an end point that shares an initial approach fix with the legacy instrument approaches, such as the ILS and visual approaches. In addition, the new STARs will tie into the new RNAV/RNP instrument approach procedures that serve both landing directions to Runway 10 Left/28 Right.
To preclude lateral conflicts between aircraft arriving and departing from Billings, the FAA has established adapted departure routes (ADRs) for aircraft with and without RNAV capabilities. Air traffic control will begin assigning ADRs over various waypoints on April 30.
Lamond said that operators should be aware of these new procedures and be ready to file them at that time.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.