IFR Procedural Q
I would like to know what guidance/limitations your companies give you when considering flying a IFR procedural approach. In my experience having trained many pilots from other airlines, different operators advocate different ideas. For example, does your operator allow you to pick up a procedure at the CF providing it is above MSA? In other words cutting out part of a procedure providing you remain within protected airspace and above MSA. Obviously this saves much time and fuel and could be argued is safe, but would you legally be allowed to do this? I have seen many pilots doing exactly that and find it difficult to argue against it, especially when ATC (usually Italian) promote it for their own efficiency of movements in a non radar environment.
Another question is, if you end up flying to an airport not contained within the NAV database and you end up having to build an approach using place/bearing/dist etc. what guidelines does your company give as to whether you can use LNAV or not? And what emphasis does the crew make re raw data backup? I am only really interested in IRS/GPS updated FMC a/c operators i.e. capable of RNP <1.
When approaching a beacon to go out bound, do you have to be level at the procedure ALT or can you go into the procedure in a constant descent, again from a fuel efficiency point of view. Obviously with ATC permission, but I would like to know what is the legal standpoint from an IFR point of view.
Finally, to go outbound straight into a procedure you must be within 30 degrees of the outbound course. Does your airline allow you to position the a/c, again above MSA, to allow to go straight outbound by making the needle drop into the 30 degree range. What do you as a examiner think of this practice?
Is there a good website to find the answers to all these questions.
Thanks.