Definition
A type of helicopter instrument approach procedure that ends at a defined geographic point in the air (the missed approach point) rather than at a runway or heliport. From that point, the pilot must either continue visually to the landing site or fly the published missed approach. PinS approaches are designed specifically for helicopters and allow access to hospitals, off-airport heliports, and remote sites that have no instrument approach of their own.
Plain English
A helicopter instrument approach that brings you down through the clouds to a specific point in the sky near your destination. From that point, if you can see well enough, you fly the rest of the way to your landing spot by looking outside; if you can't see, you fly the missed approach.
Context Anchor
Seen on helicopter instrument approach and departure charts, especially for heliports, hospitals, and landing areas that do not have a conventional runway-style instrument procedure.
Derivation
The name describes exactly what it is: the approach guides you to a point in space, not to a runway. Naming it this way distinguishes it from traditional approaches that take you all the way to a paved surface.
Why Pilots Care
Enables instrument approaches to heliports and confined landing areas where terrain, obstacles, or layout prevent a conventional straight-in approach aligned with the landing surface.
Grounding Statement
Picture flying on instruments to a safe, charted spot near a heliport, then looking outside and continuing only if the landing area and path are clear enough to see and follow.
Intuition Check
Point-in-space does not mean a random point or a place where the helicopter is supposed to hover. It means a published, charted point used as the connection between an instrument procedure and a visual segment near a landing area.
Example Sentence 1
We filed for the PinS approach into the hospital helipad because the weather was too low to arrive VFR.
Example Sentence 2
PinS procedures allow helicopters to conduct instrument approaches to remote landing zones where a standard runway-aligned approach is not possible.