Originally Posted by
FullWings
I fly to quite a few non-radar airfields around the world and that seems a long time? The next aircraft is 30-40 track miles away when the previous one touches down. Why such a big gap (genuine question)?
i admit its pedantic but this is a radar environment where revision to procedural control will happen once in a blue moon and so procedures are kept simple.
Holding over the beacon, if you are lucky get cleared for the procedure just as you go beacon outbound. 180 degree rate one turn ( 1 minute ) 10 mile outbound leg ( 3.5 minutes ), 180 degree rate one turn ( 1 minute ) on to 10 mile final ( 3.5 minutes )
based on an average ground speed of 180 knots ( 9 minutes ). By the time you take into account various ground speeds, winds, clearance for the approach when not yet at the beacon etc then simulated experience shows an average of 10 minutes.
According to the rules we could start the next aircraft on the procedure when the first is at 4 miles from touchdown but this time is usually used to launch departures.