AMC2 NCC.OP.116 Performance-based navigation – aeroplanes and helicopters

CAA ORS9 Decision No. 47

Text in magenta in force from 30 October 2025

MONITORING AND VERIFICATION

  1. Preflight and general considerations

    1. At navigation system initialisation, the flight crew should confirm that the navigation database is current and verify that the aircraft position has been entered correctly, if required.

    2. The active flight plan, if applicable, should be checked by comparing the charts or other applicable documents with navigation equipment and displays. This includes confirmation of the departing runway and the waypoint sequence, reasonableness of track angles and distances, any altitude or speed constraints, and, where possible, which waypoints are fly-by and which are fly-over. Where relevant, the RF leg arc radii should be confirmed.

    3. The flight crew should check that the navigation aids critical to the operation of the intended PBN procedure are available.

    4. The flight crew should confirm the navigation aids that should be excluded from the operation, if any.

    5. An arrival, approach or departure procedure should not be used if the validity of the procedure in the navigation database has expired.

    6. The flight crew should verify that the navigation systems required for the intended operation are operational.

  2. Departure

    1. Prior to commencing a take-off on a PBN procedure, the flight crew should check that the indicated aircraft position is consistent with the actual aircraft position at the start of the take-off roll (aeroplanes) or lift-off (helicopters).

    2. Where GNSS is used, the signal should be acquired before the take-off roll (aeroplanes) or lift-off (helicopters) commences.

    3. Unless automatic updating of the actual departure point is provided, the flight crew should ensure initialisation on the runway or FATO by means of a manual runway threshold or intersection update, as applicable. This is to preclude any inappropriate or inadvertent position shift after take-off.

  3. Arrival and approach

    1. The flight crew should verify that the navigation system is operating correctly and the correct arrival procedure and runway (including any applicable transition) are entered and properly depicted.

    2. Any published altitude and speed constraints should be observed.

    3. The flight crew should check approach procedures (including alternate aerodromes if needed) as extracted by the system (e.g. CDU flight plan page) or presented graphically on the moving map, in order to confirm the correct loading and the reasonableness of the procedure content.

    4. Prior to commencing the approach operation (before the IAF), the flight crew should verify the correctness of the loaded procedure by comparison with the appropriate approach charts. This check should include:

      1. the waypoint sequence;

      2. reasonableness of the tracks and distances of the approach legs and the accuracy of the inbound course; and

      3. the vertical path angle, if applicable.

  4. Altimetry settings for RNP APCH operations using Baro VNAV

    1. Barometric settings

      1. The flight crew should set and confirm the correct altimeter setting and check that the two altimeters provide altitude values that do not differ more than 100 ft at the most at or before the FAF.

      2. The flight crew should fly the procedure with:

        1. a current local altimeter setting source available — a remote or regional altimeter setting source should not be used; and

        2. the QNH/QFE, as appropriate, set on the aircraft’s altimeters.

    2. Temperature compensation

      1. For RNP APCH operations to LNAV/VNAV minima using Baro VNAV:

        1. the flight crew should not commence the approach when the aerodrome temperature is outside the promulgated aerodrome temperature limits for the procedure unless the area navigation system is equipped with approved temperature compensation for the final approach;

        2. when the temperature is within promulgated limits, the flight crew should not make compensation to the altitude at the FAF and DA/H; and

          [Editor's note - This sub-paragraph will be replaced by the following on 30 October 2025: when the temperature is within promulgated limits, the flight crew should not make compensation to the altitude at the FAF; and]

        3. since only the final approach segment is protected by the promulgated aerodrome temperature limits, the flight crew should consider the effect of temperature on terrain and obstacle clearance in other phases of flight.

      2. For RNP APCH operations to LNAV minima, the flight crew should consider the effect of temperature on terrain and obstacle clearance in all phases of flight, in particular on any step-down fix.

  5. Sensor and lateral navigation accuracy selection

    1. For multi-sensor systems, the flight crew should verify, prior to approach, that the GNSS sensor is used for position computation.

    2. Flight crew of aircraft with RNP input selection capability should confirm that the indicated RNP value is appropriate for the PBN operation.

    6.