KGSO Piedmont Triad International — Instrument Checkride Guide

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

Piedmont Triad International Airport (KGSO) serves Greensboro, North Carolina at an elevation of 925 ft MSL. The airport operates inside Class C airspace with tower on 119.1 MHz and Greensboro Approach on 124.35 and 126.6 MHz. ATIS broadcasts continuously on 128.55 MHz; ground is on 121.9 MHz.

KGSO handles a mix of commercial airline service and general aviation, with FedEx operating a major cargo hub at the airport. The cargo hub adds late-night and early-morning heavy transport activity that produces realistic sequencing traffic during IFR operations. Noise-sensitive residential areas adjacent to the airport impose a practice approach restriction: all practice approaches must use Runway 05R/23L. This restriction is worth knowing for checkride planning.

What instrument approaches are published at KGSO?

KGSO has one of the most extensive approach suites of any Class C airport in the Carolinas. All data sourced from AirNav and SkyVector.

Always verify current minima on official FAA charts. The Y and Z variants to Runway 32 have separate initial approach routes and altitudes — brief the correct chart for the assigned procedure.

What is the runway configuration at KGSO?

KGSO operates 3 runways with ILS coverage on all three. The parallel 05/23 pair handles the majority of airline and IFR traffic. Runway 14/32 provides a crosswind option with its own ILS variants.

Aircraft with wingspan greater than 171 ft are prohibited from taxiway E. Practice approaches are restricted to Runway 05R/23L by airport noise policy — a fact the DPE may raise when discussing noise abatement procedures.

What weather should instrument pilots expect at KGSO?

The Piedmont Triad sits in the Carolina Piedmont at 925 ft MSL, a geography that produces distinctive IFR weather. The most common IFR condition is winter stratus — widespread low ceilings and reduced visibility associated with warm air overrunning a cold surface layer ahead of approaching fronts. These events can hold KGSO at 400-600 overcast with 1-2 sm visibility for 12-24 hours during winter frontal passages.

Icing is a significant hazard from November through March. The Piedmont's elevation is high enough that freezing levels can be near the surface during cold outbreaks, and mixed icing in stratiform clouds during frontal overriding is common. Pilots operating IFR in the Greensboro area during winter should obtain thorough icing PIREPs and check the Aviation Weather Center icing forecast before departure.

Summer afternoon convection builds over the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west of KGSO and moves eastward through the afternoon. By mid-afternoon on unstable summer days, embedded cells can be present in the IFR arrivals corridor west of the airport. The terrain to the west also establishes MEA requirements on westbound IFR routes that exceed what a flat-country pilot might expect.

What should you expect on an instrument checkride at KGSO?

A checkride at KGSO puts you in Class C airspace where ATC separation is mandatory under 14 CFR 91.130. You will receive radar vectors from Greensboro Approach from departure through final approach. The DPE will be watching whether you maintain your assigned altitudes exactly, read back clearances completely, and query ATC when an instruction is unclear — all ACS Area I communication requirements.

The parallel runway configuration at KGSO is a natural examiner tool. The DPE may assign you an approach to 23L then switch to 23R, or assign the ILS Y RWY 32 instead of the more familiar ILS to the 23 end. Brief the assigned approach before the FAF regardless of time pressure. A rushed or incomplete approach brief is a common error pattern that DPEs flag during debriefing.

The FedEx cargo hub means you may be sequenced behind a B757 or B767 on the ILS. Wake turbulence avoidance is required under AIM Chapter 7-3 — stay at or above the heavy's glidepath, land past its touchdown point, and be prepared to execute a missed approach if ATC does not provide adequate spacing. The DPE may ask you to describe wake turbulence avoidance procedures for a heavy on the ILS ahead.

Terrain to the west of KGSO elevates MEAs on westbound airways above what the airport elevation alone would suggest. Be prepared to discuss minimum en route altitudes, MOCAs, and the difference between the two as part of the oral or airborne evaluation.

Practice Questions

1. Greensboro Approach assigns you the ILS Y RWY 32 instead of the ILS Z RWY 32. How do you identify which chart to pull, and what are the key differences between Y and Z procedure variants at the same runway?

2. You are sequenced 6 nm behind a B757 on the ILS 23L. Greensboro Approach says "caution wake turbulence." Under AIM 7-3, what specific actions should you take to avoid wake turbulence on the approach?

3. Your filed route from KGSO westbound requires a cruise altitude of 7,000 ft, but the MEA on V55 west of the Triad VOR is 8,000 ft. Can you legally fly at 7,000 on that segment, and what does the MOCA represent for that route?

4. KGSO issues a noise abatement notice that practice approaches must use Runway 05R/23L. The DPE wants to fly the ILS 23R for the checkride. Does the noise abatement restriction apply to a checkride flight under Part 61?

5. You are on the ILS 05L and break out of the overcast at 500 ft AGL. The CAT II minimums are DH 100 ft and RVR 1,200. What does CAT II require beyond CAT I that you do not have on this checkride?

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What instrument approaches are published at KGSO?

KGSO has ILS or LOC approaches to Runways 05L, 05R, 23L, 23R, and two ILS variants (Y and Z) to Runway 32. CAT II is certified on Runway 05L, and CAT II/III on Runway 23L. RNAV (GPS) approaches cover Runways 05L, 05R, 14, 23L, 23R, and 32. A VOR/DME procedure is also published for Runway 23L.

Q: What is the airspace class at Piedmont Triad International?

KGSO operates inside Class C airspace. Under 14 CFR 91.130, an ATC clearance and two-way radio communication are required before entering Class C airspace. Greensboro Approach provides radar sequencing for arrivals and departures within the Class C veil.

Q: What runways does KGSO have?

KGSO has 3 runways. Runway 05R/23L is 10,001 × 150 feet and is the primary instrument runway with CAT II/III certification on 23L. Runway 05L/23R is 9,000 × 150 feet with ILS on both ends. Runway 14/32 is 6,380 × 150 feet with ILS Y and Z approaches to Runway 32.

Q: What are the frequencies at KGSO?

KGSO tower is on 119.1 MHz, ATIS on 128.55 MHz, and ground on 121.9 MHz. Greensboro Approach uses 124.35 and 126.6 MHz. Practice approaches must use Runway 05R/23L due to noise-sensitive areas adjacent to Runway 05L/23R.

Q: What weather do instrument pilots encounter at KGSO?

The Piedmont Triad sits at 925 ft MSL in the North Carolina Piedmont. Winter stratus and fog are the most common IFR conditions, often associated with overrunning warm air ahead of fronts. Ice is a real hazard from November through March. Summer afternoon convection builds over the higher terrain to the west.

Q: Does KGSO have CAT II or CAT III approaches?

Yes. The ILS RWY 23L (CAT II) is published, and ILS RWY 05L (CAT II-III) provides the highest precision capability at KGSO. These procedures require aircraft, crew, and airport certification beyond standard CAT I requirements and are not evaluated on a standard instrument checkride.

Sources

• AirNav — KGSO Airport Information
• SkyVector — KGSO Instrument Approach Procedures
• 14 CFR 91.130 — Operations in Class C Airspace (Cornell LII)
• 14 CFR 91.175 — Takeoff and Landing Under IFR (Cornell LII)
• FAA Instrument Flying Handbook FAA-H-8083-15B
• Aviation Weather Center — Icing 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 Editorial Team. Last updated: May 2026. If you spot an inaccuracy, email corrections@mockdpe.org.