Date: 202009
Local time of day: 0601-1200
Location: ESN.Tower, MD
Flight conditions: IMC
Weather elements / visibility: Rain; 3
Light: Dawn
Aircraft: Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear
Operator: Personal
Operating under: Part 91
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Training
Flight phase: Initial Approach
Airspace: Class D ESN
ATC / advisory: Tower ESN
Reporter organization: Personal
Reporter function: Instructor
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Multiengine
Human factors: Workload; Training / Qualification; Distraction; Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: General None Reported / Taken
Contributing factors: Human Factors; Environment - Non Weather Related; Chart Or Publication; Procedure
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: I regularly do training in the area; and when training IFR students; especially in actual IFR conditions; it is difficult to work with towers which do not follow prescribed FAA ATC procedures and phraseology. It may seem small; but one; this ESN Tower; regularly inappropriately advertise their approach as a non-existent approach. Their ATIS will advertise (and Potomac will sometimes also call it) as a 'GPS Runway 4' or other 'GPS' approach. In fact; ESN has no GPS approaches; only RNAV approaches. These are indeed listed as 'RNAV (GPS)'; however consulting both the AIM and ATC 7110.65 they clearly state that anything in parenthesis is not part of the approach name. A 'GPS' approach is entirely different from an 'RNAV' approach. In fact you see this by looking at the nearby W75 airport; which has an actual 'GPS' approach. How does this create a safety issue? Pilots are taught to find out the approach in use; they look up the IAP and brief it. Approaches are listed alphabetically in the books and in most FMS systems. When ATC tells you the approach in use is 'GPS Runway 4;' the pilot looks for exactly that; GPS Runway 4. An RNAV approach is not listed as GPS though; it's listed as RNAV; because it's an RNAV approach; not a GPS approach. The extra heads-down time required to figure this out; especially at unfamiliar airports; can cause an unnecessary safety risk; as the pilot has to spend more time diverting attention from flying and more time trying to ascertain what ATC means.This seems like a fairly simple thing that can be corrected simply with a memo to ATC reminding them that an approach listed as RNAV (GPS) is an RNAV approach; not a GPS approach; and should be referred to using the correct terms. Although I've encountered this issue at many airports; ESN is one of the worst offenders I've ever come across; as they rarely use the proper term. I shouldn't have to brief students that 'this tower does things wrong so expect this but do that'. ATC should perform their duties correctly.




Synopsis: Pilot reported ESN Tower advertises a GPS approach when the airport has RNAV (GPS) approaches.  Pilot reported this makes it difficult to look up the approach.