From STAR to touchdown

An approach does not start at the runway — it starts where the STAR ends. Understanding the hand-offs between procedures turns a confusing chart stack into a single continuous path.

• STAR ends at an Initial Approach Fix ( IAF ) or at a point where ATC vectors you.
• Transition/initial segment — from the IAF towards the intermediate fix, often via a published arc or holding pattern.
• Intermediate segment — you are aligned with the final course and configuring.
• Final segment — from FAF / glideslope intercept down to DA / MDA .
• Missed approach — a fully published procedure; you are never "just climbing away".

Charts show the full procedure, but ATC often shortcuts it: "vectors to final" means you will be guided onto the final course by headings. In MSFS the built-in ATC can vector you, but with AI traffic and online networks ( VATSIM ) you need to be able to fly both — the published procedure AND vectors. The Phraseology page covers the radio side, and the Procedures page breaks down the different approach types.

Before top of descent , brief out loud: navaid frequency and course, the altitude at the FAF, your DA/MDA, the missed approach procedure and the expected taxi route. The Chart Explorer tour mirrors this exact flow — Altitudes and minima explains the numbers you brief.

While you brief, check the minima table for a climb-gradient condition: on some plates the published minima are only valid if you can outclimb the standard 2.5% missed-approach gradient — Altitudes and minima shows what that looks like.