MarcK
Correct we do not and can not in our Q400's in the outfit I work for. We do not have the approval from the authorities to do so. We can carry out the transion in LNAV e.g. into some of the airfields we fly into in Europe but the final approach must be either NDB, LOC, ILS VOR or visual, but NOT via an RNAV approach from the FMS. Would be nice if we could though.
Poina
I would completely agree with using all available resources. Nothing wrong with that. The point I was making is that it’s not the end of the world if you don't. You should be capable of flying an approach and go around if need be using all raw data, without the aid of an FMS. Provided you are not going to break any company rules in the process which in your case it seems you would have been. As you have pointed out yourself each company has its way of doing things. Your previous airline it was mandatory, my airline you are not allowed to. Im sure if your FMS decided to give up on you, you would have been able to carry out the MA using good old raw data, or would you have just given up? This was the point I was trying to make. Company rules aside, if a pilot starts to feel that he must have the FMS to back him up to feel comfortable (the example I gave a couple of posts ago) carrying out an approach then he has let his basic flying skills degrade, and I feel this is the result of the ever increasing amount of automation that we have to use and end up relying on too much.
One day someone may end up in a bit of a pickle and the key factor in it all may be the result of following the FMS blindly and not backing it up and noticing that it is wrong by using the raw data presented to them. Modern FMS are very accurate and smart, but it doesn't mean they can't go wrong, just means its less likely.
Last edited by big d1; 1st Aug 2010 at 23:26.