Originally Posted by
neville_nobody
F100 is 2 minutes in front of us on feeder time, but blocking our descent clearance. We can't do anything as any change in speed will mess our feeder time. So we are left high and dry waiting for the F100 to start descending and accelerate away.
It appears that the F100 flies slow in the cruise but then accelerates the descent to meet their time. Obviously if they are late on their time the more an issue it is for the following aircraft. I have had it a few times now, so it wasn't just a one off event where someone got their time wrong.
The old Fokker has a slow cruise Vmo, but she boogies at the crossover and at this point can match it with an IAS similar to modern jets.
So I guess that’s how they play their game. Personally I’d descend earlier and fly at the crossover for longer if I was driving one, so as not to disrupt the flow behind me. But it would seem a 2:1 profile is pretty common on the things. I’d regularly see one 10K above me 5nm in front. They’d at some point cross through our level and be below us.