PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Temperature Uncompensated VNAV error on Hot days/Inversions
Old 29th Nov 2021, 17:02
  #10 (permalink)  
eckhard
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: France
Age: 69
Posts: 1,142
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It is actually quite simple, especially for the small heights above the barometric reference (aerodrome) during most approaches.

The error can be approximated to 4ft per degree C dev from ISA for every 1000ft above the aerodrome.

The deviation from ISA should technically be the average for the air mass under the aircraft, but unless there are significant inversions, the dev from ISA at the aerodrome should suffice.

Example:
Aerodrome elev 2000ft
Aerodrome OAT +35C
OAT in ISA should be +15-4=+11C
Deviation from ISA is +24
Altimeter will under-read by 96ft per 1000ft above the aerodrome.
Call it 10% for round numbers.

I seem to recall this being an issue at Mauritius, where the GS intercept was over some high ground, and quite often in cloud. Skippers were understandably reluctant to descend below the published platform altitude, which sometimes meant that we were chasing the GS from above.

Similar problem at Mexico RW05 in the summer, with the GS intercept only about 5nm from the runway, a greater than 90 degree turn to line-up and finding oneself above the GS with only about 30secs before Stable Approach Criteria had to be fulfilled.

Our SOPs allowed for increasing the indicated altitudes to be flown in colder-than-ISA conditions, but we couldn't reduce them in warmer-than-ISA temperatures.
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