PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - At what altitude is a stabilized approach required for ME operators?
Old 25th Sep 2009, 04:23
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Smoozesailing
 
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I am all for a higher stabilized height.

A lot of pilots see the stabilized height as a target just the same as how we try to get the LOC and G/S right in the middle. But having said that, there are a lot of pilots who actually fly 1/2 dot low/high, 1/2 dot left/right. Not because of some desire to do so, but just that that is the best we can do based on capability, environmental conditions, fatigue...etc.

If you set the stabilized criteria at 1000' IMC/500' VMC, (values set as the bare minimum by the FSF) the top 25% of pilots will be able to make them 90% of the time, 50% of pilots will be able to make them 70% of the time, and the bottom 25% will struggle to make it 50% of the time.

So an organization who has doubts that their pilots can make it by 1000'/500' might want to increase the limits to 1500'/1000' or 1000' across the board to take into account the lower performing pilots. No doubt this will be a source of irritation for the aces, but use this opportunity to transfer your skill/knowledge to the rest so that all can benefit.

If the organization sees an improvement in the overall statistics, maybe the criteria will change.
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