How to decide on the approach?

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Some airline SOPs dictate that visual approaches are prohibited if an ILS or RNAV approach is available.

Depending on weather, some crews will opt to take a visual approach for smaller regional jets if there’s an operational advantage (save time and fuel).

If you want to do the cookie-cutter policy and always be conservative, then the order of preference is:

  1. ILS
  2. RNAV
  3. Visual
  4. VOR
  5. NDB

My personal preference for private flying where I care more about saving air time and reducing fuel consumption is:

  1. Visual
  2. ILS
  3. RNAV
  4. VOR
  5. NDB
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