Nautilus Blue/Plazbot/Spodman, a question -
Airway J93 GIB 071/070 KU 137nm. PC12 would have been maintaining F230 wanting descent with at least 60nm to run KU, and the Ejet airborne near KU wanting climb.
PC 12 reports established on, or N of, the KU 265ºR. Ejet reports established on or tracking to intercept KU 235ºR.
Do you give them unrestricted climb/descent to/from CTA?
Originally Posted by Dog One
The situation I listened to yesterday was a jet departing Kunnunnura for Broome via Gib River and Curtin. The jet departed and was told traffic was a medical PC12 inbound at F230 from Gib River. The jet was held at F180 until the PC12 passed using KU DME distances. It would appear both aircraft were IMC and no sighting and passing was possible.
Don't know all the facts, but I would suggest there might have been a better way to do that.
You'd be talking about the E170 and a PC12, yes? If so, a level-off at F180 is way below the optimal altitude of the E jet, which would be much better off with an unrestricted climb to F330 or higher. And though PC12 are a very flexible aircraft to operate, I'm guessing the PC12 pilot would have preferred an unrestricted descent.
The KU VOR is serviceable. My question is - why did they not arrange to track different radials?
The captain of the jet would have been the one pilot out of the three involved that (one would think) would be most interested in an unrestricted climb.
Rule of Thumb: A heading change of 15º or less will alter your ETA by
less than a minute
It will also make a negligible difference to your fuel burn. Eg maximum increase of 3% for that time spent off track. Which if you do it properly, will be all over within 5 to 10 minutes. So less than 50kg extra burn due 'off track' instead of much more due to a low altitude level off.
For those that went to school, think cosine 15º = 0.97, or 3% loss of G/S or less. Exactly the same trigonometry behind 15º AoB turns in light aircraft or one engine inop turning departures in a Boeing or Airbus.
So if the Ejet and the PC12 are head to head on the KU 250ºR, why didn't the Ejet suggest: We will track to intercept the KU 235ºR, if you track to intercept or remain N of the KU 265ºR inbound, we will be separated.
At 10DME, the tracks are 5nm apart. At 30DME, 15nm apart. Easy 1:60.
I reckon if you did that, Plazbot or his mates would give an immediate clearance for the Ejet to climb.