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Hondo, Texas
14
April 2005
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
The Texas Fly-In Announces Air Approach Procedures
Whenever a large number of aircraft congregate in
the same airspace at the same time, its important
to have them arrive and depart in an orderly manner
and not bump into one another.
So
it is with pleasure that The Texas Fly-In, to be
held at Hondo, Texas during the week end of May
13th, 14th and 15th, announces a complete yet simple
flight pattern for pilots to follow in approaching
Hondo Airfield (HDO) for landing.
The
arrival description of this aeronautical plan is
given below for aircraft which fly at 90 knots, but
the complete description of both arrival and
departure for faster and slower aircraft may be
found on The Texas Fly-In web-site at
http://www.swrfi.org
under Arrival Procedures.
Also available there are
aerial photographs
of the various landmarks named in the plan, so
pilots may familiarize themselves in advance with
what things look like around Hondo.
Hondo Creek initial entry point
The
initial entry point to the pattern is over the HONDO
CREEK BRIDGE on U.S. Highway 90, six nautical miles
East of Hondo.
Pilots of airplanes equipped with Global Positioning
Satellite Receivers (GPS) can enter these
coordinates into their GPS in advance, and fly right
to North Latitude 29° degrees 21 minutes 06
seconds, West Longitude 99° degrees, 03 minutes 30
seconds.
Or
in navigational shorthand: N 29° 21.06, W 99°
03.30.
Arrivals fly at various altitudes, depending on how
fast (or slow) they can go.
2,100 feet AGL (3,000 feet MSL) High Performance
Aircraft
1,500 feet AGL (2,500 feet MSL) 135 Knot aircraft
1,000 feet AGL (1,900 feet MSL) 90 knot aircraft
500
feet AGL (1,400 feet MSL) Ultralights including
Gyrocopters
300
feet AGL (1,200 feet MSL) Helicopters
Approaching Hondo Creek, all aircraft check in on
118.4 Megahertz.
The
radio frequencies in use at Hondo during The Texas
Fly-In are:
ASOS frequency 119.675 (current weather)
Hondo Creek Arrival Frequency 118.4
Temporary Tower Frequency 123.7 (Hondo Tower)
Ground Frequency 120.725
Pre-Departure Frequency 119.05 (Flaggers at
departure end of the runway in use)
HDO
Unicom 122.725
The
complete procedure for 90 knot aircraft (or as close
to 90 knots as you can fly) is as follows:
Aircraft from the North through East through South,
proceed directly to HONDO CREEK BRIDGE.
Aircraft from South West through North West remain
at least 5 miles from HDO Airport, then cross Hondo
Creek at least 3 miles NORTH or SOUTH of HONDO CREEK
BRIDGE, then direct to HONDO CREEK BRIDGE.
Contact Creek Arrival on 118.4 at least 5 miles
before reaching HONDO CREEK BRIDGE. Listen
carefully to instructions. Make sure the
instructions are for you.
VFR
holding may be necessary due to congestion at
Hondo. Arrival controllers will advise on 118.4
when holding is in progress.
If
holding is in progress but you have not yet reached
the HONDO CREEK BRIDGE, make LEFT turns over a point
on the ground until you are advised to proceed to
the HONDO CREEK BRIDGE.
If
you are over HONDO CREEK BRIDGE and holding is in
progress, make left turns SOUTHEAST of the HONDO
CREEK BRIDGE, look for other aircraft in the holding
pattern and follow them. Arrival controllers will
advise when you may proceed beyond the HONDO CREEK
BRIDGE. Keep a sharp lookout so as to see and avoid
the many other aircraft in the vicinity.
Enter the transition over the HONDO CREEK BRIDGE.
Proceed Westbound over US HWY 90 to the Overpass.
Depart the Overpass heading 300° until over the
cemetery (N 29° 21.55 W 99° 08.01) then proceed
Westbound to the Water Tower (N 29° 21.45 W99°
09.29). Maintain 2,000 MSL until passing the HONDO
CREEK BRIDGE then descend to pattern altitude of
1,900 MSL.
If
VFR holding is necessary between the Hondo Creek
Bridge and the Water Tower, the TOWER special
holding pattern will be used. A lead aircraft will
be instructed to hold by turning to a heading of
020° when over the Water Tower to Hondo Creek, two
nautical miles North of the Water Tower. Next,
over Hondo Creek, turn East to State Hwy 173, then
turn Southbound over State Hwy 173 to the overpass
and rejoin the arrival. Continue in this holding
pattern until advised by CREEK arrival on 118.4.
All aircraft will be instructed to follow the leader
in single file. Traffic in the TOWER special
holding pattern and at the overpass will be
monitored by the CREEK arrival controllers at HDO.
Remember: faster aircraft will be above you at
2,500 feet MSL, and at your same altitude of 1,900
feet MSL. Use caution, do not descend on another
aircraft.
Listen for control instructions as you approach the
Water Tower.
After the Water Tower, enter the standard HDO
landing pattern:
Runway 17L: After the Water Tower, enter left
downwind for Runway 17L. Do not descend until abeam
the numbers. Watch for any ultralight traffic using
the East end of Runway 8/26.
Runway 35R: After the Water Tower, enter right
downwind for Runway 35R.
CREEK arrival Controllers using 118.4 will advise
which runway is in use and when to contact HDO
tower. Expect this frequency change at the Water
Tower. If you do not receive instructions to switch
to HDO tower, make sure you are on tower frequency
(123.7) when turning downwind.
Where to land on RWY 17L/35R:
You
may be instructed to land short or long.
If
advised to land short, land so as to exit Runway 17L
at the first taxiway; if you are able to land in
very short distance, exit Runway 17L onto Runway 08.
In any case, DO NOT OVERSHOOT THE TAXIWAY.
If
instructed to land long, fly down the runway and
land past the first taxiway so as to exit the second
taxiway. Please taxi clear of the runway as quickly
as possible.
After exiting the runway do not stop, but keep
moving to allow other aircraft behind you to exit
the runway. Contact Ground (EAA Tower) on 120.725
and follow their instructions to parking.
The
last 500 ft. of Runway 17L will be closed by NOTAM
when landing to the South, and the last 1200 ft. of
Runway 35R will be closed by NOTAM when landing to
the North.
Tower will, in general, monitor pattern traffic and
make only directive or advisory calls as required to
ensure a safe traffic flow. Required runway spacing
will range from 1,500 ft. to 3,000 ft. for most
aircraft. No fly-bys are permitted on initial
approach and landing. BE SAFE and COURTEOUS.
Follow the aircraft ahead.
IFR
When the Tower is open, only your IFR flight plan
is closed upon landing.
VFR
flight plan You are responsible for closing your
VFR flight plan. San Angelo Flight Service Station
may have a temporary FSS set up at HDO and you may
close your VFR flight plan with them.
Go-around.
If
issued a go-around, you may be instructed to depart
the area and return to the Overpass to start the
arrival procedures over again. The tower will
attempt to have you enter a downwind for the
pattern. Follow ATC instructions.
Planning an Alternate Airport
During peak traffic periods you may experience
delays. Make sure you have enough fuel to handle at
least one re-sequence to the starting point.
Several airports in the area offer fuel. They
include: Castroville (T89) 17 miles east, Devine
(23R) 18 miles southeas, Kerrville (ERV) 40 miles
north, and Uvalde (UVA) 30 miles west.
Broadcast Tower hazards.
Use
caution because several very tall towers are in the
vicinity of Medina Lake, which rise to 3,049 ft. MSL,
twenty miles north-east of HDO. When you are within
10 miles of the HONDO CREEK BRIDGE, you are safe at
2,000 MSL.
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Contact: E. D. Yoes
eyoes@stic.net
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