KSYI Shelbyville Municipal — Instrument Checkride Guide

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

Bomar Field/Shelbyville Municipal Airport (KSYI) sits at 799 feet MSL in Shelbyville, Tennessee, in the rolling terrain of Middle Tennessee's Highland Rim. The airport is uncontrolled — no control tower — with CTAF/UNICOM on 122.8 MHz and an AWOS-3 on 119.275 MHz.

IFR operations at KSYI are managed by Nashville Approach on 118.4 MHz, which also handles departures. Nashville BNA's Class B airspace is approximately 40 nm to the northwest, and approach controllers sequence KSYI operations within the broader Nashville terminal environment. This proximity to a major hub means that GA aircraft flying IFR to KSYI may receive longer routing or holding delays during peak BNA traffic periods — a scenario discussion the DPE may raise during the oral exam.

What instrument approaches are published at KSYI?

KSYI has 5 published instrument approach procedures, sourced from SkyVector.

No ILS is published at KSYI. The presence of two separate RNAV procedures for runway 36 (Y and Z) indicates that the procedures differ in some meaningful way — different missed approach procedures, different course structures, or different minima. Understanding when and why two procedures serve the same runway is a legitimate DPE oral topic. Always verify current approach minima on official FAA charts before flight.

What is the runway configuration at KSYI?

KSYI has a single runway.

The 5,504-foot runway accommodates piston and light turboprop general aviation aircraft. All published instrument approaches use this single runway. Active direction depends on winds — runway 36 (northerly heading) is favored with southerly winds; runway 18 with northerly winds. In practice, at an uncontrolled airport, the pilot selects the runway appropriate for wind direction after reviewing AWOS.

What weather should instrument pilots expect at KSYI?

Middle Tennessee weather is strongly influenced by Gulf of Mexico moisture transported northward along the Mississippi River Valley and Tennessee River drainages. In winter and spring, warm moist air from the Gulf rides over colder surface air, producing widespread low stratus, IFR ceilings, and persistent drizzle or rain. These overcast conditions can keep Middle Tennessee airports at or below IFR minimums for 12–24 hour periods during active weather pattern cycles.

Spring tornado season (March through May) produces the most dynamic weather in the region. While tornado-producing supercells are a VFR concern more than an IFR approach concern, the squall lines preceding frontal passages bring rapid visibility drops, strong gusty winds, and turbulence at approach altitudes. Pilots should monitor convective SIGMETs and check the Aviation Weather Center area forecast discussion before filing IFR in the spring severe weather season.

Radiation fog forms on clear nights with light winds — a common Tennessee Valley weather pattern in fall and winter. Morning fog at KSYI can be dense and slow to lift given the airport's position in rolling terrain that concentrates cold air drainage. Early-morning IFR approaches at KSYI may require flying to MDA before the field becomes VFR.

What should you expect on an instrument checkride at KSYI?

Shelbyville Municipal is an ideal GPS-only approach airport for checkride use. The absence of an ILS forces the applicant to demonstrate non-precision approach proficiency — specifically MDA management, missed approach identification, and the discipline not to descend below MDA without the required visual references under 14 CFR 91.175(c).

The DPE will likely assign the RNAV (GPS) RWY 36 Y or Z approach to test whether you understand why two procedures exist for the same runway and which one to fly. If you cannot articulate the difference between RNAV Y and RNAV Z when briefing the approach, that is an evaluable deficiency. Approach plate briefing is a skill tested explicitly in ACS Area VI.

Alternate airport selection is a strong oral topic at KSYI. Because KSSI has only non-precision approaches, standard alternate minimums for a non-precision alternate apply — 800-foot ceiling and 2-mile visibility. If you plan to divert to Murfreesboro (KMBT) or Smyrna (KMQY), which also have non-precision approaches primarily, the same minimums apply. Nashville BNA, with an ILS, would allow precision alternate minimums (600 and 2) — the DPE may ask you to calculate which alternate is most appropriate.

Expect the DPE to simulate loss of RNAV capability mid-approach and ask whether you can continue using VOR guidance — and what changes on your approach plate when you revert to the VOR procedure.

Practice Questions

1. You are cleared for the RNAV (GPS) Y RWY 36 at KSYI. What is the difference between the Y and Z procedures for runway 36, and how do you determine which one you have been cleared for?

2. At MDA on the RNAV (GPS) RWY 18 approach, you see the approach lights but cannot identify the runway or threshold. Under 14 CFR 91.175(c), what do you do, and how low can you descend using approach lights alone?

3. You are filing a flight from KMQY to KSYI. The forecast at KSYI for ETA is 900 overcast, 3 miles. Is an alternate required? If yes, you propose KBNA as your alternate — the forecast there for your ETA is 800 overcast, 2 miles. Does KBNA qualify as a legal alternate?

4. Your WAAS GPS receiver shows LNAV/VNAV available for the RNAV (GPS) RWY 36 approach. Explain what LNAV/VNAV guidance means, how it differs from LPV, and what decision altitude you would use.

5. Nashville Approach assigns you holding at the KSYI VOR/DME IAF due to inbound traffic at BNA. You execute a teardrop entry. Walk the DPE through your timing, leg lengths, and what you do if the hold must extend beyond your planned fuel reserve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What instrument approaches are published at KSYI?

KSYI has RNAV (GPS) approaches to runway 18, RNAV (GPS) Y and Z to runway 36, VOR/DME to runway 18, and VOR approaches to runways 18 and 36. There is no ILS at KSYI. All procedures are non-precision. Always verify current minima on official FAA charts before flight.

Q: Does KSYI have a control tower?

No. Shelbyville Municipal Airport is an uncontrolled airport. CTAF/UNICOM is 122.8 MHz. AWOS-3 broadcasts on 119.275 MHz. Nashville Approach handles IFR traffic in this area on 118.4 MHz.

Q: What is the AWOS frequency at KSYI?

KSYI broadcasts an AWOS-3 on 119.275 MHz. This is the primary automated weather source for the airport. Nashville Approach on 118.4 MHz can provide additional weather information for the area.

Q: What runway does KSYI have?

KSYI has a single runway, 18/36, measuring 5,504 feet by 100 feet. All published instrument approach procedures use this runway. The airport elevation is 799 feet MSL.

Q: What weather hazards should IFR pilots expect at KSYI?

Middle Tennessee IFR weather is driven by Gulf moisture transported northward in warm-sector flow before cold frontal passages. Low ceilings, widespread stratus, and IFR visibility in rain or drizzle are common in winter and spring. Nashville Class B proximity means approach controllers are busy, and GA aircraft may receive longer routing to KSYI.

Q: Why does KSYI have multiple RNAV approaches to runway 36?

The RNAV (GPS) Y RWY 36 and RNAV (GPS) Z RWY 36 are separate procedures because they have different missed approach procedures, course structures, or minima. When two procedures serve the same runway, the DPE may ask you to explain the differences and which you would fly given a specific scenario.

Q: How close is KSYI to Nashville Class B airspace?

Shelbyville is approximately 40 nm southeast of BNA. The Nashville Class B outer ring does not typically extend to KSYI's location, but Nashville Approach controls IFR traffic in the area and sequences KSYI arrivals with BNA traffic flow. Always verify current airspace boundaries on current charts.

Sources

• SkyVector — KSYI Airport Information
• 14 CFR 91.169 — IFR Flight Plan Alternate Requirements (Cornell LII)
• 14 CFR 91.175 — Takeoff and Landing Under IFR (Cornell LII)
• FAA Instrument Flying Handbook FAA-H-8083-15B
• FAA Instrument Procedures Handbook FAA-H-8083-16B
• Aviation Weather Center — Area Forecast Discussion

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