LOWI for pilots

About this document

This wiki page is intended as a starter and briefer for first-time or inexperienced pilots to get into or out of LOWI/Innsbruck. The reason to write such a page is, that many people fly there. It is the default airport for X-Plane 9, is extremely beautiful to fly (great mountains, deep valley) and LOWI is quite challenging to fly. The result: VATSIM traffic regularly exceeds real-life traffic. Nevertheless, many pilots make fatal errors. They make controllers either laugh or swear and trigger go-arounds. If all VATSIM aircraft accidents around LOWI were real, the valley would be an enormous cemetery.

The structure of this document covers in sequence

• arrival,
• approach,
• ground and
• departure.

Charts you need to have

Do not even think of flying into Innsbruck without charts. Especially when flying online, expect diversion if you don't have them. The overview for all charts is [here at the VATSIM Austria homepage. You need to study the charts in advance to understand them. Once you need them, you will only be able to look up what you have seen already.

Overview from the air

LOWI is in a deep valley which runs east-west roughly. At a more detailed look, you see that exactly at Innsbruck the valley bends. This narrows the options to reach the airport without hitting a mountain: For large birds, only east and west are possible. For VFR, two more add to it: from the North via Seefeld (NOVEMBER route) and from the south (BRENNER-SIERRA). To VFR, see later.

IFR approach

The [STAR chart] This chart shows you already: You have two main approaches into the valley: East (via RTT NDB) and West (via KTI NDB). There is a third and fourth option for visual specialists, see below.

Overview: 1. LOC DME East approach with (1.a) runway 26 and (1.b) circling runway 08 2. LOC DME West approach with (2.b) circling 26 and (2.b) double circling 08 3. Visual BRENO approach 4. Special Föhn approach

1. LOC DME EAST approach

... is the most common approach into Innsbruck. You are levelled off by Innsbruck Radar (119.27) some 25nm out of the airport at 10.000ft altitude (local QNH, not flight level!). Be aware that this is NOT an ILS approach and that you will hit the apron and a hangar if you think so. Be also aware, that both approaches can lead to both runways, as you fly the last section visually and turn in the narrow valley - really thrilling.

In a nutshell, LOC DME East leads you straight down into the valley where you land visually, either almost straight 26 or circling at 08. But let's look at that step by step.

Approach and landing has the following steps:

1. At RTT, you are told to level at 10.000ft (local QNH!). You might be told to enter the holding there. See the chart: The holding is RIGHT around at 226° - please adher to it. You make a real mess for the Approach controller, if you turn left.

1. ATC clears for LOC DME East approach. The most used phrase is:

LOWI_APP: LHA123, cleared LOC DME East approach, report established.

This means: You look at the chart and see: Leave RTT with heading 210° (not more to the left - you hit mountains!) and grab the localizer OEV (111.10) and the glideslope like a normal ILS approach. Strictly, the glideslope is only an indicator and you have to follow the altitude limits on the chart, but you might as well do the other way around: grab the glideslope and monitor altitude and OEV DME. Be aware, that the phrase LOC DME Eeast means something: It means that it is a localizer that is not meant to be flown to the very bottom.

1. You are transferred to LOWI_TWR. Innsbruck Tower monitors your whole descent from D18 (at 8500ft) to landing (1893ft). Then the next surprise starts: There are still two runways available. Usually, LOWW_TWR tells you the runway in use and where to report. From this point on, you should have the [Visual Approach Chart] ready.

1a. Runway 26 for landing

LOWI_TWR: LHA123, Innsbruck Tower. Wind calm, Expect runway 26 and report Absam (AB NDB).

This is the easy way, and still many pilots screw it up: After AB NDB (OEV 6.3DME) you have see the runway or go around. Once you report, TWR will clear you to land or go around. In both cases, you disconnect the AP now! Either you land manually, or you go around manually. The go-around is a steep left turn with max climb rate and return to RTT NDB. You must have below 160kt and 30° bank to avoid the mountains.

1b. Circling Runway 08 for landing

The other option is a circling approach to runway 08. The usual phrase for that is:

LOWI_TWR LHA123, Innsbruck Tower. Wind calm, expect circling runway 08, report downwind.

This is the more challenging way and many pilots get puzzled. Why landing 08 if you have 26 out front? Never mind - tower has his/her reasons, and you need to comply. The way to comply is on the visual approach chart: You level off at 3700m MSL (Disconnect the Autopilot! If you want to fly it real, then fly it by hand. The ground is your best reference). After AB, you turn left 230° which leads you head onto INN NDB (don't grab it - fly that visually!). The route leads you over the higher green fields on the left side below the Patscherkofel. Scary, eeh? Fly past the airport and then watch your DME meter (Caution: OEV DME first decreases, then increases again. Once it increases again and hits 3.5nm, do a sharp right turn and descend into the valley. With a bit of training you find yourself head on runway 08 for landing.

Common mistakes are:

• Pilots leave the AP with ILS on and get too low at AB. Disconnect early to level off at 3.700 (better 4.000) ft.
• Pilots fly the circle with manual configuration of the Autopilot. But the AP does not know the valley. You are simply too slow and not exact. Fly by hand, this is what pilots are for.
• Pilots don't descend at the final turn and end up too high, desperately dive and land way too fast. You have to bend and descend (again, by hand). It is a nice, gradual descent - no need for a vomit-dive.

Speed: slow down

Flying into Innsbruck is often done too fast. As a rule of thumb:

• Reduce speed to approach after RTT, before you grab the glideslope. You won't want to overspeed. Unlike other airports, Innsbruck Tower might tell you speed restrictions.
• For runways 26 and 08, reduce to landing speed at or before AB NDB. As simpilot you fly alone, and it's easier to configure your plane for landing when still on autopilot. If you are used to it, you can slow down between AB and touchdown 26, and while flying downwind for 08.
• For circling 08, you definitely should have your plane configured to land (speed, flaps, gear) before turning into final.

2. LOC DME West Approach

IF you come from France, Switzerland or the like, you are most likely nearer the the LOC DME West approach. This approach is more challenging, and if you fail, then you go around to RTT for the East approach.

Arriving at KTI NDB

Mountains to the West are higher, so you level off at KTI NDB at 13.000ft (local QNH!). There you might be ordered to enter the holding which is left around with 104° inbound vector.

Grabbing the localizer

The usual ATC phrase is:

LOWI_APP: LHA123, cleared LOC DME West approach.

This means:

1. SLOW DOWN YOUR PLANE almost to landing speed! Descent is steep and with a large bird, it is unlikely that you manage it with more than 160kts. Descend flaps to about 3/4 and reduce speed accordingly. If you are unsure, prepare for landing (speed, flaps, gear) at KTI.
2. Make sure you have the localizer OEJ 109.70 tuned and receive a signal.
3. Fly out of KTI at 104°.
4. Turn your OBS to the inbound radial of 67° and arm it.
5. Grab the OEJ 67° radial and descend whatching your DME indicator (you need to see the charts).

A thrilling experience to descend from the snow-capped mountains into the valley!

Most common mistakes at KTI

• Too fast: The western descent is twice as steep as the eastern and any ordinary descent into an airport.

• No localizer: LOC DME West is not part of standard FS2002 and 2004 (but included in X-Plane 9). Check in advance, if you have it. Check over KTI, if you have the right localizer. For MSFS, you need an add-on. (but which? Help! I have X-Plane!) If you happen to be on the way and realize that OEJ is not on your radar, then ask for a LOC DME east approach. It takes longer, but you won't crash.

• Wrong localizer: Some pilots use the back course of LOC DME east (OEV), which gives smashing mountainous results and a nice wooden cross in the virtual airmen's cemetery opposite the runway.

Descending on the localizer

Once established on the localizer, you are handed to Tower. Bear in mind:

• Watch speed, DME and altitude simultaneously.

• Go-around is 67° radial to OEJ and 65° radial out of OEJ to RTT.

• Bear in mind, where the approach ends: NOT at runway 08, but at 5000ft altitude over Absam (AB NDB). This means: You fly over the airport at about 7000ft.

• At AB NDB, the final approach begins, and it is visual. As the airport is already 6nm behind you, you need to turn. In order to turn in a narrow valley, you have to be slow (160kt or below). In order to be slow, you have to slow down before descent.

Most common mistakes at descent

• too fast: Pilots who descend the glideslope with 250kts or more will unlikely to slow to 160 or below at the end and need to go around.
• Dive for 08: Some pilots seem to think that the LOC DME east approach leads to runway 26 (wrong!) and LOC DME West approach leads to runway 08 (deadly wrong!). At the point of turning for final 08, you are still 5000ft above the airport. Pilots who try end up with a smashing 300kt landing. In fact, approach for 08 from the west goes over the airport, turns back and then turns again into final (see below).

Two options are available again:

2a. Circling runway 26

Initial clearance from tower might look like this:

LOWI_TWR: LHA123, continue,  wind 300° 8kts, expect circling runway 26, report AB NDB.

When you reached AB NDB, the airport is behind you, you have to turn. AB NDB is rather on the left side of the valley, so (see visual approach chart) you do a steep right turn into final (bank hard and be slow!), simultaneously descend visually. If you need to slow further down, you might extend your downwind beyond AB, but tell TWR - that might smash his spacing and cause a go-around. Do your turn-and-descent with 4000ft or above (the valley has a step on the southern side and below 3700ft no turn is possible) and continue descent when the runway is ahead.

2b. (Double) Circling runway 08

LOWI_TWR: LHA123, continue,  wind calm, expect circling runway 08, report AB NDB.

This means that you have to circle twice: The first right turn leads you to the southern side of the valley (bank hard and be slow!) and maintain altitude. Then you do as from LOC DME East approach: Proceed towards INN NDB, descend 3700ft, watch DME OEJ indicator to increase and reach D14.1 OEJ, and then turn-and-descend onto final runway 08. You need to fly this by hand.

Most common errors at visual approach from LOC DME West

• too fast at AB NDB (160kt or below)
• turning right anyway and chopping a lot of wood on the slope before ending in a coffin
• Descending too fast after AB NDB and hitting the step in the valley at 3500ft: Maintain 4000ft or above while turning west.
• turning into final too early (wait for D14.1 OEJ) and forgetting to descend

3. Special visual arrival BRENO

This approach is not charted anywhere, as it is a visual approach only. When reaching BRENO, you can request a visual descent into the Wipptal, the valley leading from Brenner to Innsbruck. You are transferred to Innsbruck Tower, and then you fly on your own - usually with the request to report the airport in sight.

Depending on which runway Tower has given you, prepare for steep turns either left or right when you reach the main valley and join the visual approach patterns for runway 08 or 26. You might try this a few times offline before going online. Don't attempt to do this at Föhn conditions, where violent and turbulent southern winds blow down the valley you descend in.

4. Föhn special visual arrival

Föhn is a particular weather phenomenon common to Innsbruck. A southern depression pushes northwards and gets caught in the mountains, sending high, gusty and warm winds down the mountains on the northern side. Typical conditions are winds around 10kt and gust twice than that. Wind blows down the valley (southwest-northeast), turbulence is high, and much higher on the southern ridge of the valley where the wind forms rotors.

At Föhn conditions, runway 26 is the only choice. Foehn approach is available on request, and follows the northern ridge (where wind is calmer) until above the city of Innsbruck. There you fly over the city until on 26 final and land. People get scared in the back seats.

VFR Approach and departure

... is still to come. Insbruck is a really nice VFR airport with the deep valleys around. Come and enjoy.

On the ground

(see the aerodrome chart, which is [here].)

X-Plane Screenshot of LOWI

*The far eastern part is for General Aviation (GAC East).

• The middle part of the apron is for larger birds.
• Local General Aviation is at the very Western part in front of Hangars I, II and III.
• In the western part is a "cutout" in the grass. On earlier charts, this was marked as helipad. Some choppers still use it.
• Rescure and police helicopters operate from the "Flugrettungszentrum" (ICAO: LOJO), which is south of hangar III and the engine run stand. Local pilots pronounce it "Lojo" and don't spell it. LOJO is not part of any standard package. Giannis MSFS add on scenery has it, and X-Plane has it too.
• The Apron has no predefined "stands" in real life. In real life, aircraft are handed off to the follow-me car. As there is no car at VATSIM, you are most likely to given instruction:

LOWI_TWR: LHA123, taxi to stand of your choice

IFR Departure

... ist still to come and consists of...