One situation that seems to catch many pilots off guard is the fact that in Mexico, Central America and South America, the use of DME Arcs is quite common. Many US pilots have probably not flown a DME arc since they did their instrument training. However, the use of DME arcs is very common in both Standard Instrument Departures (SID) as well as in Instrument Approach Procedures (IAPs). Therefore, if you plan to fly under IFR in this part of the world, it would be a good idea to pull up the STARs, IAPs and SIDs for the destination and alternate airports that you plan to use for your flights. If you are really rusty, or want to practice, it would be a good idea to locate some airports in your area with approaches that utilize DME arcs to brush up on procedures before you depart on your trip.

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