Honeywell Flight Technical Services has made its FMS guided visual approaches database an optional standalone product. Aircraft operators can now purchase the visual approach database without buying the full RNP approach database, and the cost for a subscription is $2,000 per year.
Guided visual approaches are specially designed approach procedures coded in the Honeywell flight management system (FMS) that provide lateral and vertical guidance to a runway for use only in visual meteorological conditions. The approaches are designed to provide stabilized maneuvering with low bank angles and precise, repeatable lateral and vertical flight paths. Pilots can fly the procedures manually or fully coupled to the autopilot.
There are five FMS guided visual approaches in the database, and Honeywell is adding more, along with expanding the list of eligible aircraft. The five airports with visual approaches are Teterboro (KTEB, Runway 6 circle to Runway 1); Chicago Executive (KPWK, Runway 34); Jaqueline Cochran (KTRM, Runway 35); Van Nuys (KVNY, Runway 34L); and Scottsdale (KDSL, Runway 21). Four other airports or runways are under development, including Cabo San Lucas (MMSL, Runway 11); Peachtree-Dekalb (KPDK, Runway 3R); Henderson (KHND, Runway 17R/35L); and San Francisco (KSFO, Runways 28L/R).
Each visual approach is depicted on a Jeppesen chart in the normal format, accompanied by a detailed briefing sheet on the back side of the approach plate. All of the approaches require pilots to be responsible for terrain and obstacle clearance and only to use the approaches in visual conditions. The approaches use radius-to-fix legs, “which provide a precise track over the ground to align the aircraft while observing known airspace restrictions,” according to Honeywell.
Aircraft eligible (with Honeywell FMSs) for the visual approaches include Gulfstream G450 through G600 models, Hawker 4000, and Dassault Falcon 900EX EASy and 8X. Plans call to add aircraft from Embraer (170/190), more Falcons, some Cessna Citations, the GV, Bombardier Global Express, and Pilatus PC-12 and PC-24.