What is the Final Approach Fix (FAF) and its role in an instrument approach?

What is the Final Approach Fix (FAF) and its role in an instrument approach?

• A. The missed approach point
• B. The FAF is the point where the final approach segment begins; after crossing the FAF, the aircraft descends to minimums.
• C. The initial approach point
• D. The runway threshold

Answer: (B)

Final Approach Fix marks the start of the final approach segment. From this point you’re cleared to descend along the published final approach path toward the runway minimums, and you should be established on the final course with the appropriate altitude restrictions in place. On a chart, the FAF is defined so that you transition from the intermediate segment into the final approach, and crossing it means you continue descent to the minimums (DA for precision approaches or MDA/MDAs for non-precision, depending on the procedure). It isn’t the missed approach point, which comes later if the required visual cues aren’t acquired; it isn’t the initial approach point, which marks the start of the initial segment; and it isn’t the runway threshold, which is the end point of the approach. On different types of approaches, the FAF may be a precise fix, a DME distance, a timed point, or the glideslope intercept location for precision approaches like the ILS.

Final Approach Fix marks the start of the final approach segment. From this point you’re cleared to descend along the published final approach path toward the runway minimums, and you should be established on the final course with the appropriate altitude restrictions in place. On a chart, the FAF is defined so that you transition from the intermediate segment into the final approach, and crossing it means you continue descent to the minimums (DA for precision approaches or MDA/MDAs for non-precision, depending on the procedure). It isn’t the missed approach point, which comes later if the required visual cues aren’t acquired; it isn’t the initial approach point, which marks the start of the initial segment; and it isn’t the runway threshold, which is the end point of the approach. On different types of approaches, the FAF may be a precise fix, a DME distance, a timed point, or the glideslope intercept location for precision approaches like the ILS.