Approach Procedures — Page 185, Lesson 265

Let's pick up with the two remaining reversing procedures — the base turn and the racetrack. These are the last two ways we can reverse our direction to get onto the inbound track, and they're both shown on approach plates, so you need to recognise them. First, the base turn. This one is used when we have accurate outbound track guidance from an NDB or a VOR. The key condition here is that the inbound track is not the reciprocal of the outbound track — so we're not just flying out and turning 180° back. Instead, we fly a specified outbound track to a predetermined point, and at that point we make a rate 1 turn — that's a standard-rate turn, 3° per second — so that the aircraft rolls out exactly on the required inbound track. The end of the outbound leg can be defined either by timing or by DME distance, and that's shown in Figure 8.21 and on the approach plate in Figure 8.22. Now the racetrack procedure. This one is a bit more involved. A racetrack consists of a turn from the inbound track through 180° at the facility or at a fix. After that turn, we fly the outbound leg to a point defined by time or by a fix, and then we make another turn through 180° to bring the aircraft back onto the inbound track. So it's literally a racetrack shape — out, around, and back. The racetrack is used in a specific situation: when aircraft are required to enter a holding pattern prior to commencing the instrument procedure, and the orientation of that holding pattern does not permit either a procedure turn or a base turn to be used. So it's the fallback when the other two reversing methods won't work geometrically. It will normally be specified as an 'alternate procedure', and the specific instructions will be included on the approach plate. Figure 8.23 shows the racetrack, and Figure 8.24 shows it on an approach plate. The key distinction to hold onto: the racetrack is an extension of the outbound leg to a defined fix, where the inbound turn is then commenced. So it's not just a simple reversal — it's a deliberate extension outbound before we turn back in. That's what makes it different from the procedure turn and the base turn.