Narrative:

I was the safety pilot on an IFR training flight. We were on an IFR tower en route IFR clearance. We received radar vectors and the problem occurred when we were about 3 mi west of F70. The march approach controller asked us how we wanted to fly the GPS runway 18 approach and we asked for radar vectors to the final approach course. He then later came back and said; 'cleared direct tiqmu intersection; cleared for the GPS approach.' hmm; I thought; we would have to reverse course once we reached the intersection and there is no published reversal! I already had the GPS approach activated with the vectors to final option on my garmin 530 so I tried to reprogram it to fly the GPS approach with tiqmu as the IAF; but tiqmu was not an option for this approach in the GPS. In retrospect; tiqmu is not an initial approach fix. So there we were; turning north in the general direction of tiqmu and I had to get out of the approach mode in the GPS and reprogram it to fly direct to tiqmu. When we reached tiqmu; we just created our own course reversal (teardrop to the right) and turned back to the south. I reprogrammed the approach back into the GPS and we flew uneventfully to the FAF where we canceled IFR. It's interesting to note that an IFR flight behind us on the GPS approach to F70 was also confused about the course reversal at tiqmu and the controller told him to fly the published reversal! Both airplanes knew it wasn't published! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised he was assigned 4700 MSL; an appropriate altitude for commencing the approach from either tiqmu or the transition from jesex; but not for a feeder route from nikkl. He did not ask for clarification of the approach controller's expectations but did hear the second aircraft ask re the course reversal. The controller's assertion that there was; in fact; one published.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE36 ENROUTE TO F70 IS IMPROPERLY CLEARED DIRECT TIQMU; CLEARED FOR THE GPS 18 APCH. FLIES UNCHARTED COURSE REVERSAL TO ALIGN WITH FINAL APCH COURSE.

Narrative: I WAS THE SAFETY PLT ON AN IFR TRAINING FLT. WE WERE ON AN IFR TWR ENRTE IFR CLRNC. WE RECEIVED RADAR VECTORS AND THE PROB OCCURRED WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 3 MI W OF F70. THE MARCH APCH CTLR ASKED US HOW WE WANTED TO FLY THE GPS RWY 18 APCH AND WE ASKED FOR RADAR VECTORS TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE. HE THEN LATER CAME BACK AND SAID; 'CLRED DIRECT TIQMU INTXN; CLRED FOR THE GPS APCH.' HMM; I THOUGHT; WE WOULD HAVE TO REVERSE COURSE ONCE WE REACHED THE INTXN AND THERE IS NO PUBLISHED REVERSAL! I ALREADY HAD THE GPS APCH ACTIVATED WITH THE VECTORS TO FINAL OPTION ON MY GARMIN 530 SO I TRIED TO REPROGRAM IT TO FLY THE GPS APCH WITH TIQMU AS THE IAF; BUT TIQMU WAS NOT AN OPTION FOR THIS APCH IN THE GPS. IN RETROSPECT; TIQMU IS NOT AN INITIAL APCH FIX. SO THERE WE WERE; TURNING NORTH IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF TIQMU AND I HAD TO GET OUT OF THE APCH MODE IN THE GPS AND REPROGRAM IT TO FLY DIRECT TO TIQMU. WHEN WE REACHED TIQMU; WE JUST CREATED OUR OWN COURSE REVERSAL (TEARDROP TO THE R) AND TURNED BACK TO THE S. I REPROGRAMMED THE APCH BACK INTO THE GPS AND WE FLEW UNEVENTFULLY TO THE FAF WHERE WE CANCELED IFR. IT'S INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT AN IFR FLT BEHIND US ON THE GPS APCH TO F70 WAS ALSO CONFUSED ABOUT THE COURSE REVERSAL AT TIQMU AND THE CTLR TOLD HIM TO FLY THE PUBLISHED REVERSAL! BOTH AIRPLANES KNEW IT WASN'T PUBLISHED! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER ADVISED HE WAS ASSIGNED 4700 MSL; AN APPROPRIATE ALT FOR COMMENCING THE APCH FROM EITHER TIQMU OR THE TRANSITION FROM JESEX; BUT NOT FOR A FEEDER ROUTE FROM NIKKL. HE DID NOT ASK FOR CLARIFICATION OF THE APCH CTLR'S EXPECTATIONS BUT DID HEAR THE SECOND ACFT ASK RE THE COURSE REVERSAL. THE CTLR'S ASSERTION THAT THERE WAS; IN FACT; ONE PUBLISHED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.