COPTER ONLY APPROACHES TO AN AIRPORT OR HELIPORT

Pilots flying Copter standard instrument approach procedures (SIAPs), other than GPS, may use the published minima with no reductions in visibility allowed. The maximum airspeed is 90 KIAS on any segment of the approach or missed approach. Figure 7-9, illustrates a helicopter only ILS runway 32 approach at St. Paul, Minnesota. Copter ILS approaches to Category (CAT) I facilities with DAs no lower than a 200-foot HAT provide an advantage over a conventional ILS of shorter final segments, and lower minimums (based on the 20:1 missed approach surface). There are also Copter approaches with minimums as low as 100-foot HAT and 1/4 SM visibility. Approaches with a HAT below 200 foot are annotated with the note: “SPECIAL AIRCREW & AIRCRAFT CERTIFICATION REQUIRED” since the FAA must approve the helicopter and its avionics, and the flight crew must have the required experience, training, and checking.

The ground facilities (approach lighting, signal in space, hold lines, maintenance, etc.) and air traffic infrastructure for CAT II ILS approaches are required to support these procedures. The helicopter must be equipped with an autopilot, flight director or head up guidance system, alternate static source (or heated static source), and radio altimeter. The pilot must have at least a private pilot helicopter certificate, an instrument helicopter rating, and a type rating if the helicopter requires a type rating. Pilot experience requires the following flight times: 250 PIC, 100 helicopter PIC, 50 night PIC, 75 hours of actual or simulated instrument flight time, including at least 25 hours of actual or simulated instrument flight time in a helicopter or a helicopter flight simulator, and the appropriate recent experience, training and check. For “Copter” CAT II ILS operations below 200 feet HAT, approach deviations are limited to 1/4 scale of the localizer or glide slope needle. Deviations beyond that require an immediate missed approach unless the pilot has at least one of the visual references in sight and otherwise meets the requirements of 14 CFR Part 91.175(c). The reward for this effort is the ability to fly “Copter” ILS approaches with minima that are sometimes below the airplane CAT II minima. [Figure 7-11 on page 7-12] The procedure to apply for this certification is available from your local Flight Standards District Office.