Procedure turn/hold required on this approach? I am an instrument student nearing my checkride. I recently flew the VOR-A approach into KLOL as a practice approach, using ROBUD as the IAF. I was wondering if the charted hold at MOBOH is required by this procedure?



I had a few thoughts:


It seems like AIM 5-4-9 (a) would say yes, since there is no "PT NA" on the plate. Flying a real IFR flight in this case, it seems likely that ATC would clear for a straight-in approach, in which case the hold would not be necessary.
If I was flying this approach on a real IFR flight and didn't hear "cleared for the straight in approach", I would ask ATC to clarify.


HOWEVER, I'm curious if, in the absence of specifically being cleared for a straight in approach, I would be expected to fly a circuit in the holding pattern on this approach starting from ROBUD, even though I'm already inbound on the final approach course?
If you start the procedure at ROBUD and your clearance does not include "cleared for straight in approach", then you are expected to do a procedure turn in the hold. In real life the first thing to do in such situation would be to query the controller "confirm we are cleared for straight in approach", they are very likely to forget it also.

In my opinion, this is an example of an error on the FAA chart, which is missing noPT annotation on the leg from ROBUD to MOFTE. That annotation is present on a Jepp chart. I've seen these kind of errors in the past and FAA is usually pretty good in correcting them, so go ahead and ask them at Aeronautical Inquires.

.