Problems with the Patuxent VOR radials (288 through 296) have made the Runway 29 VOR approach to St. Mary's County (Maryland) Regional Airport unusable. Several pilots contacted AOPA, worried that the VOR might be decommissioned. AOPA spoke with an official at the FAA's Eastern Flight Procedures Office in Atlanta, and the FAA is aware of and will check into the problem. The spokesman said that the VOR is not slated for decommissioning. The FAA also is planning to add a precision GPS (LPV) approach for Runway 29 but did not release a date for that. (A nonprecision GPS approach is in place for Runway 29 now.)
July 6, 2007