Descent on the ILS
It’s not without some trepidation that I ask this so please be gentle and offer verifiable answers rather than opinion.
You are flying into an airfield surrounded by terrain. You’re cleared via a STAR which ends at the IAF you are cleared to descend to the altitude at the IAF which on the chart is the same figure with a line underneath it a distance of 18 nm to touchdown and is approximately a 3 degree slope. You are cleared ILS.
But it’s hot ISA + 10 you hit the IAF at the defined altitude intercepting the LOC with a half scale fly down on the GS.
There are 3 other step down altitudes on the chart each with a black line below them.
The last of the 3 is the IF at 10 nm
Do you
a) arm the GS capture the glide from above?whilst that will certainly mean the indicated ( as opposed to a baro corrected altimeter) will be below the charted altitude
or
b) use FMC /FMGC to descend ensuring you are at/above the charted altitudes until after the FAF/P then correct to the GS?
I appreciate this isn’t a terrain issue but what do ATC expect outside the FAF could they clear low level VFR traffic below you at say 10/15 nm?