Don't ‘Dive and Drive’ Putting precision in the non-precision approach BY JAMES ALBRIGHT james@code7700.com here is something strangely prehistoric about the way ‘many of useontinue to fly what we grow up ealling 2 “non- precision” instrument approach. After flying across eon {iments and oceans with navigational precision measured in decimals, we push the nose over a thousand foot per minute “or so” and wait for the minimum descent altitude (MDA). That altitude is measured with an altimeter accurate to plus or mi nus 75 fL, plus whatever temperature tolerances may exist, and based on an altimater setting that may be an hour or more old ‘This status quo method has been killing people sinee the dawn. of instrument flight. There has to he a better way; fortunately, there is, ‘You ean fly a smooth, continous descent from the final ap- proach fix down to 0 it above the landing threshold, You don't need any faney avionics toda this, i'you have the technellogy to fly an NDB approach you can fly 2 Continuous Descent Final Approach (CDFA). Of course, as with most things in aviation, having a high-tech cockpit will male it easier: The Old — ‘Dive and Dri We all breathe a sigh of relief when we first spot the “rabbit” after a well flown ILS or LPV approach. But we should al feel a sense of worry when spotting the lights after flying along minimum descent altitude. How far away is the runway? When do we start down? Are there any unlit obstacles between here and there? There are mote than a few problems with how we've always done it in the pas (@) Leaving the final approach fix with a 1,000 fpm rate of, descent means we have to remember to start the level-oif be- fore the MDA. Even with an autopilot we have to make sure it isprogrammed correctly, can handle the level-off precisely, and 48 Business & Commercial Aviation | July 2014 “mode confusion” along the way. In 1995, the crew ‘of American Aiviines Flight 1572 may have suecumbed to these problems at East Granby, Connecticut. The airplane was sub- stantially damaged, but nobody was serious) {2) Even if we succeed at leveling off at the MDA, we need to make sure we don't start down after spotting the runway until itis safe to do so, At night, in poor visibility, we are terrible Judges of distance. DME helps to be sure, bul after spotting the runway the temptation to nose it over is too much for some, In 2004, the crew of Corporate Ailines Flight 5968 spotted Kirks- ville Regional Airport in Missour' a few miles early in manginal ‘weather. They hit the ground a few miles early too, killing most ‘on board. (8) Fogand low-level louds are far from uniform, Justbeeause you've spotted the runway from the MDA doesn’t mean you will ep sight of it. The airexatt's weetor shouldnot be pointed down until that weetor is assured to end upon the runway, In 2001, he ‘row of Crosenir Flight 359/7 spotted the ranvray at Borin-Togel Airport in Germany and started down from the MDA. They didn't have the runway insight for longand impacted well short, killing most ofthe erew and passengers. (4) When flying along the MDA you dont technically have to, zo around nil the missed approach point, which typicaly sits at thespproach end of the runway. Spotting the runway thislate in tho approach is too late to land the airplane. In 1994, tho crew ‘of Korean Air Plight 2088 tried to do jast this at Cheju Airport in Seoul. They were tunable to get the airplane stopped on the runway. While the airplane was destroyed in the overrun, ex ‘eryone survived. ‘6) Pilots are mission-oriented and if they don’t get in on the first try there fsa strong urge to try itagain, “Just little lower” Reaching a decision altitude along a glidepath is fairly cutand doesn't g wu. fuiationWesk com/beavied: driving along an MDA leaves time to explore the regions of “a litle ower.” In 1988, a B-1B pilot couldn't resist that urge on his second attempt to land at minimums, The supersonic bomber was destroyed: ejection seats spared the crew: ‘Any instrument pilot with several hundred approaches to ‘minimums will tell you that when you are at minimums, you should never point the airplane earthward unless there is a runway directly ahead. Any “precision” approach with vertical ‘guidance meets thiseriterion. A “non-preelsion” approach flown under “dive and drive" tochniques doos not. The New — CDFA Mandatory in a Country Near You thas become elear to most avia- ‘authorities that it makes better sense to approach the runivay with some type of verti- cal guidance, even ifthe instru ‘ment approach doesn't have a slideslope of some sort. Better sense, yes, But mandatory? ‘The FAA's Advisory Cir- cular 120-108 recommends it Jor all approaches with a pub- Sc oo — avo 1251 a7 MeO worms) 1060 aceon | SOURIS, | ERTS cee | at eon |B eer awowersey RNAV (GPS) RWY 28 lished vertical descent angle or glideslope. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Document 8168, Vol lume 1, Amendment 3 says op- erators should use the CDFA technique whenever possible. ‘The European Union, in Commission Regulation No. 859/2008, OPS 1.430, says a CDFA shall be flown unless the country ap- proves otherwise, So it depends, You have to check the country’s aeronauti- cal information publication or other state pages to be sure, If ‘you fly to France or Switzerland, to name just two, a CDPA is ‘mandatory. Is the Approach CDFA Eligible? While a CDFA makes sense and in some cases is mandatory, ‘you ean't use the technique on all approaches. In the U.S. the Approach has to havea published glidestope (G8) or vertical descent angle (VDA) from the final approach fix (FAP) or in some cases a stey down fix, to the threshold erossing height (TCH), You need to study your char‘ provi er's legend, Here are the FAA and Jeppesen methods. An FAA chart will spell out “GS" as well as tho angle right on the profile view of an ap- proach that includes an ILS or RNAV (GPS) ‘mane | ot ney a slidestope. ‘A Jeppesen chart will show glideslope “feathers” along the glidepath, Ifa non-RNAY or RNAV approach without a glideslope has a validated vertieal descent angle, it will be shown with an angle symbol on the profile view of an FAA chart. ‘Ona Jeppesen chart it will be depicted by adot- ted gray line below the DA/MDA. wu AvistionWeckcom/bca, an \ 33 4 Sear ae ae ee ee Business & Commercial Aviation | July 2014 49“OPERATIONS What Is Your DDA? In most eases the MDA is the lowest you ean go without seeing the runway: [f you are aim- Ing the airplane to the touchdown zone, you will need analtitude inerement to give you and your autopilot the necessary space to go around. This increment is added to the MDA to deter- ‘mine a Derived Decision Alitude (DA). ‘Some countrios specify a height inerement, bout most leave it to the operator. Your aireraft ‘manuals may specify the increment or gi youa maximurn certified height loss. In the Gulfstream G45, for example, the Airplane Flight Manual specifies: "Maximum demonstrated altitude loss for coupled go-around is 60 ft." So In this ease: DDA = MDA + 60. Flying a CDFA — Basic Procedures ‘The objective of'a CDFA Is to leave the final approach fix fully configured, on speed, and ready toland. You should not have to destabilize the aireraft by making thr justments when spotting the runvray. GV and G550 pilots often withhold the last increment of flaps asa courtesy to faster mov ing airera‘t, butifflying a CDPA in instrument conditions, it may bbe wiser to configure earlier. Low-Tech Procedures Even ifyou don't have an autopilot or flight director, ou ean fly a CDFA. PAA-H-8082-158, Instrument Flying Handbook, includes ‘descent table that converts the angle of descent into the feet/ ‘am to Jose and a descent rate for given ground speeds, (An ab~ broviated extract is chown below:) I, forexample, uur ground speedonce fully configured 120 ket. flying a vertical descent angle of 3.0 deg., your VVI should bbe 637 fon, You can cheek your progress along the way by subtracting the fect/nm every mile. Ifthe FAF is at 2,000 ft, after I mi. you Should be 2,000 - 318 = 1,882 ft. Tt would be a gond idea to work ‘out target altitudes when briefing the approach and write them on the approaeh plata. AU.S. Example Flying the VOR DME Runway into Lebanon, New Hampshiro, isnot a good place to drone along at the MDA, where you will within several hundred feet of very rugged terrain. The ap- proach has a published VDA of 8.40 deg, making ita perfect candidate for a CDPA. > Low Tech — Ifyour aireraft doesnot have a VNAV system, you can use the deseent table below to convert the 8.40-deg. angle af deseent to 361 t. per nautical mile. Youshould fully eonvigure by RIZZ0 and check your ground speed If you don't have & ground speed readout, you ean add or subtroct reported runway winds to your approach speed. Your inital VVT witlhe 722 4pm. You should write mile marker check points on the approach plate, as shown, cach based on losing 301 ft per mile, [Fyout have a 60-f. height increment, you make ‘your decision to land or go around at 1,500 Ft, as ifyou wore on anILS. P-VWAY— Ifyou have 2 VNAV system you can program itt fly the approach just as if the aporoach were to an LNAV/VNAV using RNAV with one possible exeeption. If you do not OpSpec/MSpec/LOA C073, you need to add your height i mont to the MDA toget your DDA. Ifyou do have CO" Rate of Descent Table, FAA-H-8083-15B, Figure 1-19 Ground Speed (knots) Vertical Path Angle 3.5 185| 280} 370. 4.0 210[ 315] 425] 530 635| 740] 845] 955] 1060] 1165] 1270 50 Business & Commercial Aviation | Juy 2014 www AviationWeekcom/bes,OPERATIONS ‘an “authorized operator” nated in tho profile view ball note. You can use the published MDA asa DA andl do not need to add the hhoight inerement, Making Sense of Individual Country CDFA Rules Many countries have adopted CDPAs as mandatory but the application of the technique is not consistent. In France, for example, a CDFA is listed under the minimums but the mini ‘mums are listed as “DA/MDA" and already include the height inerement — you don't need toadd to it. ‘Switzerland, on the othar hand, does not list CDEA in the approach plate but does show a “DA” under minimums. Since they do not mention the height increment, it would be prudent toad Flying a CDPA is the safer way to fly almost all “non-preei- sion” approaches. In some countries it is a mandatory proce- dures in others itis highly recommended. You need to research each country vou visit to figure out any specitic requirements. Alter one of its DC-9s ran into some trees short of a runway in 1996, American Airlines felt compelled to remind its crows, “Despite its name, a non-precision approach must be flown swith exacting precision” Yes, you need to do that, But you can further stack the odds in your favor by making sure your airplane is never point ed short of the runway after you leave the final approach fix. BACA PA ey OF Esra ‘Opi cenFarstaknoy ons pip 52 Business & Commercial Aviation | Juy 2014 pena Fra sa aizaipnsee GENEVA, SwITZERLAND