Chapter 5

Arrival Charts

Chapter 5 Arrival Charts

5.1 Introduction
5.2 The Layout & Information of
STAR Charts
5.3 Example

5.1 Introduction
Standard terminal arrival route (STAR)
procedures provide a method for leaving
the enroute structure and transitioning
into a busy or congested terminal area.
They typically terminate with an instrument
or visual approach procedures.

STAR propose:
STARs are designed to simplify arrival
procedures for pilots and air traffic
controllers by streamlining ATC
instructions for frequently used arrival
patterns.
For Example:

STAR identifier

ARRIVAL identifier

5.1.2 Locating Arrival Charts

Arrival charts are normally filed in the
Jeppesen Airway Manual before the
departure charts for the corresponding
airport.
A white-on-black box located on the upper
right corner of the chart identifies the
chart as a STAR.

How to find a arrival chart for a particular

airport:

Look up the city in which the airport is

located.

 Look up the airport name.

 The index number at the top of the

chart ends in "0-2" for arrival charts.

When more than one arrival chart exists for an

airport, their index numbers are listed in
alphabetic sequence.

 One or several arrival procedures may be

displayed on one chart, with the name of the
arrival listed at the top of the plan view section.

Some airports may use arrival procedures

for another airport in the area.

 5.2 The Layout & Information of STAR

Charts

The Heading
Plan View
Heading Border
Communications
Transition Altitude/Level
Restrictions

5.2.1.1 Heading Border

The heading border data located at the
top border of each Jeppesen arrival
chart, contains standard information to
help you quickly identify and retrieve the
proper arrival procedure.
Revised Dates
Primary Airport Name

Location Name

Effective Dates
Index Number
Chart Procedure
Identifier

Chart procedure identifier

STAR
ARRIVAL

Chart Procedure Identifier

LOST COMM STAR: A LOST COMM

provides arrival procedures that address
only lost communication procedures.

Location Name

Primary Airport Name

Chart Index Number

Dates

5.2.1.2 Communications
D-ATIS: This symbol indicates that digital
ATIS (Automatic Terminal Informal
Service) is available for those aircraft that
have the equipment to receive it.

*ATIS

5.2.1.3 Transition Level and

Altitude

5.2.1.4 Chart Restrictions

In addition to the name of the arrival, the
chart title may include any number of
restrictions, such as:
Type of aircraft
Speed
Onboard Equipment
Ground-based Equipment
Abatement Procedure

Type of Aircraft
Some routes are designated specifically
for jet, turboprop, or non-turbojet
airplanes.

Speed
Restrictions on speed are often noted in a reverse
type box with several criteria for the pilot to follow.

Onboard Equipment
Some arrivals are designed for aircraft with specific
equipment; for example, DME, GPS, or RNAV.
Equipment required may be specified in the title, or in
this case, special procedures might be required if
certain equipment is not available.

Ground-based Equipment
When an arrival is based on specific groundbased equipment, it may include restrictions if
that equipment is not operative. For example, in
this chart, you only use this chart when the
Glasgow VOR is unserviceable. In this situation,
primary navigation is conducted using the
Glasgow NDB as an alternative navaid.

Abatement Procedure

5.2.2 Plan View

Chart Naming and Numbering

Orientation
Airports
Navaids and Fixes
Flight Tracks
Navigation Planning

5.2.2.1 Chart Naming and

Numbering
Generally, arrival procedures are named after
the first fix on the STAR .
Sometimes a plan view displays more than one
arrival procedures. When several arrivals are
named from the same fix , they are
distinguished numerically (if the procedure
name does not include a number) or
alphabetically (if the procedure name does
include a number).

Typically in the United States, transition routes guide

pilots from the enroute structure to a specific fix in
the STAR. In these cases, the STAR name is
usually the same as the last fix on the enroute
transitions where they come together to begin the
STAR.

A few arrival charts, such as the 10-2A chart for

Warsaw, are simply named ARRIVAL
PROCEDURE, followed by the designations
of applicable runways for the route charted.
These charts represent preferred arrival
routes approaching the airport.

With the arrival name, a number of other

important data may be listed:
Computer code
Arrival type
Arrival direction
Runway designation

Computer Code
For airports that have computerized their route
identification for flight planning/filing purposes,
the computer code for a particular arrival
procedure is displayed in parentheses following
the route name. This is omitted when there are
no computerized routes for an airport.

Arrival Type
The type of arrival is enclosed in parenthesis
following the name of the arrival. Arrival types
could be: PILOT NAV, RNAV, VECTOR, DME,
GPS, or LOST COMMS. For more information
about the different types of arrivals, see the
Flying an Arrival lesson later in this course.

Arrival Direction
Many large airports have an arrival covering each
of primary directions that an aircraft might
approach an airport, such as FROM EAST

Runway Designation
If an arrival applies to specific runways, these will
be listed just below the title. Otherwise , they are
specified in the plan view of the chart.

5.2.2.2 Orientation

North arrow

Not To Scale

Arrival charts may include any of the

following types of boundaries:
Region borders between countries or
states
Transition level boundaries
Special use airspace boundaries

Region Borders

Transition level boundaries

Special Use Airspace

Boundaries
When special use areas (SUAs) are referenced in
the arrival procedure, they are charted on the
plan view. In addition to the outlined depiction for
the area, the following information may be
included:
Identifier: The Identifier includes three items of
information: the country code (on U.S. charts the
country designation is omitted), the type of SUA
(P)rohibited, (D)anger, or (R)estricted and a
sequential number.

 Lower and upper limits

Time of operation
When times of operation and limits are
omitted, refer to the corresponding enroute
chart for additional information.

5.2.2.3 Airports
Most arrival charts are designed for one
airport , referred to as the primary
airport. The primary airport is displayed
in the plan view by as a shaded circular
area, centered on an outlined sketch of
all active or temporarily closed runways.

When the procedure also serves other

airports, a notation is included in the plan
view lists the additional airports served.
Also, the elevations and runway information
are listed nearby the airports.

5.2.2.4 Navaids and Fixes

Arrival routes are defined by various navigation
facilities in the area. Typically, the arrival chart
shows all the navaids that define the route within
the plan view section of the chart.
Also, along the route, there may be designated
locations that provides a means for checking the
progress of your flight .Again ,these fixes may be
defined by their relative position to various navaids,
as well as latitude and longitude positioning.

Navaid
On the STAR chart, the navaid has not
the symbol of the magnetic north!

Occasionally, a chart references a navaid that

is not located on the chart . In lieu of the
navaid symbol , the plan view provides the
navaid identifier, frequency, and Morse code.

5.2.2.5 Flight Tracks

Arrival Tracks
Transition Routes
Radar Vectors
Holding Patterns
Visual Flight Tracks

Arrivals Tracks
An arrival track is depicted as bold, solid line with
a prominent arrowhead at the end of the route
segment. These tracks are typically annotated
with the following information:
The magnetic course given as bearing from, or
to, a specific navaid. On some routes, you fly a
heading rather than receive positive course. In
this case, the letter hdg are printed with the
magnetic bearing.

 The distance in nautical miles. Occasionally,

the distance will also be given in DME. In
such cases, the number is preceded by the
letter D.
The expected altitude at which you will fly
the segment. Altitudes are established above
mean sea level in feet, or , when the altitude
is preceded by the letters FL, as flight level.
Altitudes may be given as either MEAs,
MOCAs, or MAAs.

MEA
The MEA is the minimum enroute altitude that
guarantees navigation radio reception for the
stations that define the route and least 1,000
feet obstacle clearance in non-mountainous
terrain areas. For areas with mountainous
terrain, the MEA guarantees 2,000 feet
obstacle clearance. The MEA is the most
common altitude shown on arrival charts. For
example, the MEA between the JASON and
GILBY intersections on Washingtons Jasen
Three arrival is 5,000 feet.

MOCA
The MOCA is the Minimum Obstruction
Clearance Altitude. When this altitude is
maintained, you are guaranteed
obstacle clearance, but navigation radio
reception is only assured within 22
nautical miles of the station. MOCA
altitudes are shown in the same manner
as MEA altitudes, except that the letter
T follows the altitude limit.

MAA
A maximum authorized altitude (MAA) is a
ublished altitude representing the maximum
usable altitude or flight level for an airspace
structure or route segment.
It is the highest altitude on a Federal airway, jet
route, RNAV low or high route, or other direct
route for which an MEA is designated at which
adequate reception of navigation signals is
assured.

Holding Patterns
Outbound Bearing
Holding Fix
Inbound Bearing

Hold altitude:
MHA: minimum
holding altitude
MAX: maximum
holding altitude

Leg limit :When DME

figures are associated
with a holding course
symbol, the first denotes
the location of the
holding fix. The second
figure is the outbound
limit.

Time limit

Holding speed
limit

5.2.2.6 Navigation Planning

Routing information
Descent planning
Lost communications procedures
Speed limit procedures

Routing Information
Textual descriptions, when provided, give written
details of each arrival route and transition. The
text is separated and labeled in a manner that
helps you clearly distinguish each flight track
in the procedure.

Descent Planning

Lost Communications
Procedures
When communication with ATC are lost
while on an IFR flight, you are expected
to follow standard lost communications
procedures unless you have been
advised to expected a specific
clearance, or when other instructions
are published in a lost
communications procedures.

For many arrivals, lost communications

procedures are published in the plan view
section of arrival chart, within a crosshatched or LOST COMMS border.

In some airport, lost communications

procedures are published in the plan
view section of arrival chart, within
border.

If there is a individual published lost

communication procedure for a specific
airport, the STAR is displayed
individually . Meanwhile, LOST
COMMUNICATION is labeled nearby
the type of arrival procedures.

Altitude & Speed Limits

Arrival charts often include speed limit
restrictions or procedures for all or parts of
the arrival procedure. when the speed limits
apply to the entire procedure, the limit is
typically part of procedure title, as shown
here. In this case, no matter where on the
procedure you are, if you are below
10,000feet,you have a max IAS of 250
knots.

FRANKFURT/MAIN Airport

In other cases, speed limits may simply

be annotated to the portion of
procedure to which they apply.

Finally, some speed limits are included as

a boxed procedure.

5.3 Example

Flight Planning for Arrivals

Flying a Standard Arrival
Flying an RNAV Arrival
Flying with Lost Communications
Flying a Visual Arrival

When flying a visual arrival, you want to

note the minimum safe altitude (MSA).