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Old 10th Dec 2007, 09:10
  #27 (permalink)  
Tmbstory
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: France
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300 ft per nautical mile

Capt Wally

If you use a descent of 300 ft a nautical mile and a stabilized approach, the higher (faster) aircraft will be on a wider circuit than the lower & slower aircraft. (on downwind leg about 3+ nm & 5nm). The pilot sits on the left of the overtaking aircraft so there is a better chance of seeing the lower slower aircraft.
The idea of flying or turning over a visual position is defeating the concept of look and judge. You can not do it on a black night at a dark hole airport.

Even if there is no DME information you can still judge the approach by the "apparent" distance between the approach end of the runway cone markers, runway lights etc. When you think of all the times that pilots make approaches to runways, using ILS or VASI systems and then do not use all the means available to judge the slope, it is a waste.

In the earlier times at Broome, there were no VASI or ILS installations to help with the approach slope and yet Corporate Jet operations were not a problem day or night.

Tmb
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