Originally Posted by
typhoonpilot
The problem is thus: A Boeing 777-300 at max landing weight ( which is what we often arrive at ) has a min clean speed of 229 knots; flaps 5 speed of 189 knots; and flaps 15/20 speed of 169 knots. To go any slower than 169 knots we have to put the landing gear down. That is something that we would like to avoid prior to the normal glideslope intercept point.
It seems that even when a controller uses 170 knots they haven't actually planned the spacing based on that and you end up very close to the preceeding aircraft. The tower tells you to slow to min speed on initial contact, ( which is 154, by the way ). It gets very uncomfortable with a late landing clearance and in some cases a go-around ensues.
TP
I loved this comment! As an Approach Controller in DXB, I usually finish my understaffed 9 hour midnight shift, and rush home to firstly compute minimum clean speeds for not only 777-300, but also IL76's, F50's and even the odd PA28, from any point within 20 miles of Dubai, all dependent on their weight of course. I then (this is before I get sleeping mind you) load all these parameters into flight simulator 95 (Can't afford the lastest version) and do practice approaches into Dubai, wearing nothing but my Captains hat, listening to "Learn to Fly" by the Foo Fighters, dreaming I too could one day be a pilot and get that cool 50% discount card for the cyclone! ...
I think I speak for a lot of the controllers here, our f-in hands are tied by all the crap going on here. If you are working arrival and fail to say "180 to 10, 160 to 4", any fellow controller in the room who is "Dual Validated (tower and approach) will then start to choke u with their headset wires... and tell u to go work upstairs in the tower when a 777 is bearing down at "170kts" not "160kts" on AeroAsia who is trying to find the "on" switch for his airplane while lined up for takeoff....
Point is if we say 160, it's because that's what the guy ahead is doing, and tower is busy puckering their sphinxter to get a departure off in between. So if u could be so bothered please, feel free to use airbrakes, flaps, landing gear, parachutes, hands out of open windows, whatever slows u down, your choice, we're easy, but if u get too close to the guy ahead, you're going to go around, and not only you, but also add a couple of laps to your good friends doing gulf sightseeing tours at Desdi and Bubin... and then all u boys/girls of the skies will get home that much later and not be able to play your ATC/Tracon simulator games...
Post of the week award - thanks futr-kofeshop-dweler - you made our day 
4HP