Approach speeds
It's amazing what you don't even realise you don't know. I discovered, only recently (much to my embarassment), that PANS-OPS specifies a maximum speed to be used on a racetrack or reversal procedure for each approach category.
For example, for a Category A aircraft, the maximum speed to be used is 110kts.
I compared this to my company's standard procedures. We operate Cat A aircraft (BE76) with a threshold speed of 76kt. However, we use a much higher speed on the approach (100kt) in order to avoid ATC disruption with faster aircraft behind us, and reduce the effects of cross-winds - only slowing first to 85kt then 76kt when visual and on short final. This seems to be fairly standard procedure (from my own experience, at least) across the training industry and most of the light aviation industry as far as light twins are concerned.
So far, so good. But our speed at the start of the approach will typically be higher than the 110kt specified by PANS-OPS.
Our SOP is to fly to the IAF, and fly the hold, at 120kt. We leave the IAF at 120kt, then lower 10 degrees of flap which will slow us to 110kt. At the FAF we lower gear and 20 degrees of flap, which slows us to 100kt.
Is this allowed? I guess the 110kt maximum is there to ensure a maximum radius of turn, so if we have reached 110kt before making a turn, can we still follow a Cat A procedure?
And if the answer is No, are we allowed to fly a Cat B procedure, with Cat B minima, despite the fact that the type is a Cat A type (based on the stall speed/approach speed from the manual)? Are we then allowed to revert to Cat A once we have slowed the aircraft to below 110kt (assuming the procedures for Cat A and Cat B are the same up to this point, but Cat A maybe has a lower vis minimum)?
Any thoughts welcome!
FFF
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