TheLizard
15th Nov 2001, 14:34
Has anyone been notified of changes to SRA advisory heights and glide angle? I was just told by a colleague at another unit (and I confirmed by checking in in the AIP) that instead of 3 degrees, it is now a "5.2% GRADIENT", with a descent profile of 320ft/nm (not 300) and the heights are given as:
6 1920
5 1600
4 1280
3 960
2 640
And therefore 1 mile = 320ft, 0 - 0ft. Hang on - what happened to the extra 50ft? I thought it based on aiming for the touchdown zone, not the end of the tarmac! For a perfectly flown 3 degree approach, deleting the 50ft would mean the aircraft touching down 1000ft short of the touchdown point. Ahh, but an SRA is only intended to get the pilots visual I hear you say. Fair enough - but all other non-precision approaches seem to have the 50ft included - why is an SRA different?
The eagle-eyed amongst you will note that this descent profile is slightly steeper than for a 3 degree approach (which equate roughly to about 4.8%). In fact, it starts above, and then descends below the previous profile. It would seem that (from the AIP) all non-precision approaches are now flown at a gradient %, not glide degree.
And this isn't only at my unit - I checked against two others in the AIP - exactly the same. No doubt this affects most, if not all, units. Not that I have a problem with change. What I have a problem with is that this particular change was dated 19 SEP 00 - everyone I have spoken to didn't have a clue this had happened (including LCEs) - so basically SRAs have been done incorrectly for over a year.
Did any units actually spot these changes? Who initiated them, and why? And why wasn't a big deal made of them - this would seem important!
And if this is news to you, go and check your unit AIP!
--------
The Lizard
Airlines start new cost reduction programme - readbacks cut by 30%
[Edited for poor use of the English language!]
[ 15 November 2001: Message edited by: TheLizard ]
6 1920
5 1600
4 1280
3 960
2 640
And therefore 1 mile = 320ft, 0 - 0ft. Hang on - what happened to the extra 50ft? I thought it based on aiming for the touchdown zone, not the end of the tarmac! For a perfectly flown 3 degree approach, deleting the 50ft would mean the aircraft touching down 1000ft short of the touchdown point. Ahh, but an SRA is only intended to get the pilots visual I hear you say. Fair enough - but all other non-precision approaches seem to have the 50ft included - why is an SRA different?
The eagle-eyed amongst you will note that this descent profile is slightly steeper than for a 3 degree approach (which equate roughly to about 4.8%). In fact, it starts above, and then descends below the previous profile. It would seem that (from the AIP) all non-precision approaches are now flown at a gradient %, not glide degree.
And this isn't only at my unit - I checked against two others in the AIP - exactly the same. No doubt this affects most, if not all, units. Not that I have a problem with change. What I have a problem with is that this particular change was dated 19 SEP 00 - everyone I have spoken to didn't have a clue this had happened (including LCEs) - so basically SRAs have been done incorrectly for over a year.
Did any units actually spot these changes? Who initiated them, and why? And why wasn't a big deal made of them - this would seem important!
And if this is news to you, go and check your unit AIP!
--------
The Lizard
Airlines start new cost reduction programme - readbacks cut by 30%
[Edited for poor use of the English language!]
[ 15 November 2001: Message edited by: TheLizard ]