KAND Anderson Regional — Instrument Checkride Guide

What kind of airport is KAND and what is its IFR environment?

Anderson Regional Airport (KAND) sits in the South Carolina Piedmont, approximately 30 nm southwest of Greenville-Spartanburg International (KGSP). Elevation is 782 ft MSL. The airport is non-towered — there is no control tower — and operates within Class E airspace. IFR pilots must obtain a clearance through Greer Approach/Departure on 118.8 MHz before entering the system. All in-flight traffic separation is the pilot's responsibility; CTAF 123.6 MHz is used for position reports on approach and departure.

The IFR environment at KAND is deliberately low-complexity, making it a common checkride destination for instrument applicants based in the Upstate South Carolina area. No Class B or C airspace penetration is required. The primary navigation challenge is non-towered operations under IFR, sequencing with VFR traffic on CTAF, and executing non-precision or precision approaches to a runway that sees mixed GA traffic. Weather is available via ASOS on 120.675 MHz.

What instrument approaches are published at KAND?

KAND has five published instrument approach procedures, sourced from AirNav and verified against current SkyVector chart listings.

The ILS or LOC RWY 05 is the only procedure with precision-style vertical guidance at KAND. When winds favor Runway 23, a circling approach from the ILS or an RNAV (GPS) RWY 23 approach are the options. Always verify current minima on official FAA charts — minima are subject to amendment.

What is the runway configuration at KAND?

KAND has two paved runways. Runway 5/23 is the primary instrument runway and the only one served by an ILS. Runway 17/35 is shorter and in poor condition per published AirNav data; instrument applicants should note this runway has no ILS but does have RNAV (GPS) approaches to both ends.

The airport also has two helipads (H1 and H2, each 50 x 50 ft concrete) that are not relevant to fixed-wing instrument operations. Wildlife — particularly deer — are reported on and in the vicinity of the airport at dusk and dawn, per published NOTAMs. Aerobatic practice areas also exist in the vicinity.

What frequencies are used at KAND?

KAND is non-towered; there is no clearance delivery, ground, or tower frequency. All radio communication uses CTAF and approach control.

On an IFR departure from KAND, contact Greer Approach immediately after takeoff to receive your IFR clearance void-time or confirm your pop-up clearance. On arrival, expect the approach clearance from Greer Approach; switch to CTAF 123.6 when instructed or after leaving the approach frequency.

What weather should instrument pilots expect at KAND?

Anderson's Piedmont location at 782 ft MSL gives it a relatively mild weather profile compared to the higher-elevation airports in the Appalachian foothills to the northwest. However, several hazard patterns are worth knowing for a checkride or cross-country flight.

Radiation fog is the most common IFR producer in the fall and winter months. Clear skies, light winds, and moist ground after recent rain allow fog to form rapidly after sunset and persist through mid-morning. Visibility can drop to near zero while ceilings remain above 1,000 ft, or ceilings and visibility can bottom out together. The NWS Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP) office issues terminal aerodrome forecasts covering the KAND area.

Summer afternoons bring convective buildup along the Appalachian ridges. Cells can develop quickly and move northeast, occasionally affecting the KAND area by late afternoon. Embedded convection within widespread overcast layers is common during active summer weather patterns and demands careful preflight weather analysis. Winter frontal passages can bring low ceilings and freezing drizzle, with icing potential from the surface to 10,000 ft.

What should you expect on an instrument checkride at KAND?

A checkride at KAND is fundamentally a non-towered IFR environment exercise. The DPE will evaluate not just your instrument skills but your ability to manage communications, traffic awareness, and procedural discipline without a controller actively separating you from other aircraft. Expect to self-announce position at multiple points on the approach — "Anderson traffic, Cessna 172 on the ILS Runway 5 final, Anderson" — while simultaneously flying the approach. This multitasking is assessed under ACS Area II (preflight procedures and communication management).

The ILS or LOC RWY 05 is the expected precision approach at KAND. If winds favor Runway 23, the DPE may ask you to fly the RNAV (GPS) RWY 23 approach or execute a circling approach from the ILS RWY 05. Circling approaches require you to maintain visual contact with the runway environment while maneuvering to land on the opposite end — a distinct skill set from a straight-in approach, evaluated under ACS Task VI.C.

The missed approach from KAND puts you back into Class E airspace with no radar environment guarantee. The DPE will assess whether you declare the missed approach, execute the published procedure immediately, and contact Greer Approach without delay. Under 14 CFR 91.175(e), once you descend below MDA or DA, a missed approach is mandatory if the required visual references are lost.

Expect holding. A published or non-published hold over a nearby fix is a standard checkride element. Entry procedure, EFC time requests, and timing accuracy are all evaluated. At a non-towered field, holding may also require you to self-announce your hold on CTAF so VFR traffic is aware.

Practice Questions

1. You are cleared for the ILS or LOC RWY 05 approach at KAND. At 500 ft AGL you have the runway lights in sight but not the runway surface. Under 14 CFR 91.175(c), can you continue to a landing?

2. KAND is non-towered. How do you obtain your IFR clearance for an IFR departure from KAND? What are the options if you cannot reach Greer Approach?

3. Winds are 200 at 12 knots. The ILS serves only Runway 5. Walk the DPE through your decision process for selecting between the RNAV (GPS) RWY 23 straight-in and a circling approach from the ILS RWY 05.

4. You are on the ILS RWY 05 final when CTAF traffic announces a VFR aircraft is departing Runway 23 directly toward you. What do you do, and what ACS task area covers this scenario?

5. The RNAV (GPS) RWY 35 shows an LNAV minimum of 1,000 ft and ¾ sm visibility. Your aircraft has WAAS. Does LPV guidance change your minimums? How do you confirm LPV is available for the approach?

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What instrument approaches are published at KAND?

KAND has an ILS or LOC to Runway 5, a VOR to Runway 5, and RNAV (GPS) approaches to Runways 5, 17, 23, and 35. There is no precision approach to the reciprocal Runway 23 end — the ILS serves only Runway 5. Always verify current minima on official FAA charts before flight.

Q: What is the airspace class at Anderson Regional Airport?

KAND operates as a non-towered airport. The field lies within Class E airspace to the surface during published instrument approach procedures. No ATC clearance to enter is required, but IFR operations still require an ATC clearance filed and received through Greer Approach or Flight Service before departure.

Q: What frequency do you use at KAND for approach?

Greer Approach/Departure controls the KAND terminal area on 118.8 MHz. The CTAF at KAND is 123.6 MHz, used for all traffic advisories and position reports when the field is non-towered. Weather is available via ASOS on 120.675 MHz.

Q: Does KAND have a control tower?

No. Anderson Regional is a non-towered airport. All traffic separation is pilot-responsibility using CTAF 123.6. IFR pilots operating into KAND should obtain approach clearances from Greer Approach on 118.8 and monitor CTAF for traffic on the approach.

Q: What runway should you expect for an ILS approach at KAND?

The only ILS or LOC procedure at KAND is to Runway 5. Runway 5/23 is the primary instrument runway at 6,002 ft. With a headwind from the northeast, Runway 5 will be active. With southwest winds, a circling or RNAV approach to Runway 23 is the alternative.

Q: What weather hazards are common at KAND?

Anderson sits in the South Carolina Piedmont at 782 ft MSL, sheltered from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the northwest. Morning radiation fog is common in fall and winter. Afternoon convective activity builds rapidly in summer. The nearby mountains can produce low ceilings and turbulence during frontal passages.

Q: What are the runway dimensions at KAND?

Runway 5/23 is 6,002 ft x 149 ft asphalt/grooved. Runway 17/35 is 4,996 ft x 149 ft asphalt. The shorter Runway 17/35 has RNAV (GPS) approaches to both ends but no ILS — performance aircraft should calculate landing distances carefully on this runway.

Sources

• AirNav — KAND Airport Information
• SkyVector — KAND Instrument Approach Procedures
• 14 CFR 91.175 — Takeoff and Landing Under IFR (Cornell LII)
• 14 CFR 91.129 — Operations in Class D Airspace (Cornell LII)
• FAA Instrument Flying Handbook FAA-H-8083-15B
• NWS Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP) — Terminal Forecasts

This article was researched from FAA primary sources (ACS, FAR/AIM, Advisory Circulars, Instrument Flying Handbook), approach procedure data from AirNav and SkyVector, and citing current 14 CFR Part 91 — drafted by MockDPE. Last updated: May 2026. If you spot an inaccuracy, email corrections@mockdpe.org.