After AIN published an article recently about approvals required to fly LPV approaches outside the U.S., a helpful pilot reader offered additional useful information. The story explained, “This requirement [the need for a letter of authorization] flies in the face of the deviation the FAA filed from ICAO requirements that do not require Part 91 operators to obtain approval for any performance based navigation (PBN) procedures.”

But the reader clarified the point as follows: “The deviation to ICAO SARPS [mentioned in the AIN article] filed by the FAA applies only in the U.S. The FAA filed difference means that while operating in the U.S., an operator (U.S. or foreign) is not required to comply with the ICAO SARP. But anyone who flies in France, for example, is supposed to comply. The French say it is not a grounding offense and when pilot and aircraft are ramp checked, the item is noted and nothing more is said.

“The FAA is very close to agreeing to issue LOAs to Part 91 operators for LPV SBAS approaches if an operator requires approval for operations outside the U.S.”