I would like to hear some opinions of a technique I am seeing cadets use that is driving me crazy, we will arrive into our STAR free terminal area and we are being vectored / sequenced depending on current traffic, so a typical situation is receiving a descent from say 9000 FT to 5000 FT initially the pilot selects Open Des then intervenes at say 7000 with V/S - 1000, then when arriving at 6000 FT reduces to V/S - 500, then within 200 ft of the altitude then again reduces to V/S -200.
I asked the pilot what he was trying to accomplish and he told me he was trying to make a smoother descent.
In our terminal area, they tend to stick to non radar separation event though they use radar, so quite often by the time we approach our assigned altitude, we again receive another descent, even though in the 321 you can barely hear the engines, but, I am listening to every spool up and spool down, observing EPR jump up and down each and every time the pilot plays with the V/S knob, my question is, who is teaching this stuff and how can this possibly save any money.
Thanks in advance for replies, D.L.
