Instrument approach procedures with no final approach fix

You might be used to looking at an Instrument Approach Procedure (IAP) chart and seeing a Final Approach Fix (FAF). Although you will find the majority of IAP's have FAF's, not all of them do. This can cause confusion, especially when an examiner pulls out the chart and asks you to find the non-existent FAF. The IAP chart below for KFNT VOR RWY 18 is a great example of an IAP with no FAF.

Non-precision approaches are not required to have a FAF. In this case, when do you start the final approach phase of the approach? The key is the Final Approach Point, present on non-precision IAP's with no FAF.

Final Approach Point (FAP)
The point, applicable only to a non-precision approach with no depicted FAF (such as an on airport VOR), where the aircraft is established inbound on the final approach course from the procedure turn and where the final approach descent may be commenced. The FAP serves as the FAF and identifies the beginning of the final approach segment.

Reading the definition of the FAP, it is clear that the FAP the point when you are established inbound after completing the procedure turn. You will be able to start your descent at this point as well. Let us take a look at another example: the VOR-A at KCVO.

Again, no FAF in sight. Since we now understand that select non-precision approaches can have a FAP in lieu of a FAF, we can easily decipher when the final approach phase of the flight begins:

Once we have completed the procedure turn at CVO, we can start our descent below 2900 ft. That inbound turn from 027° to 252° constitutes the FAP and thus the final approach phase of the procedure.