Just a couple of points:
1. Continuous descent approaches are not yet mandatory for helo ops. There are procedures in Europe, however, where there is no option, in that only a DA is published for the non-precision approaches. Even though they're not mandatory for helos, clearly we may need to fly them and thus need to know how they work.
2. Several states have simply relabelled MDAs as DAs without any thought as to why there's a difference. However, just because there may not be a difference between the new DA and the previous MDA does not mean that there is an error; although the two are calculated differently there's no reason that a DA should necessarily be higher than the MDA it replaces.
3. The MAPt is simply the LATEST point by which you must commence a go-around; you're quite free to go around earlier. In fact, if you follow the letter of the 1173/1174 forms precisely (LST/LPC) they say "NPA down to the MDA" and "go-around on reaching the MDA", thus there is no need for a level segment for licensing purposes and the pilot (unless briefed otherwise) should start the MAP on reaching minima.
4. Unless the plate specifically says that you must continue to the MAPt before commencing the go-around then you can turn as soon as you like since the area in which obstacles are considered includes those as far back as the FAF. I'd not advise this, however.
5. Continuous descent non-precision approaches with a DA are still NON-precision; they don't become precision approaches simply by the change from an MDA to a DA.
6. Some aircraft have a Pressure Error Correction (PEC) which must be added to the minimum altitude for precision approaches since the pitot lags and over-reads in descent. For non-precision approaches this has been allowed to be ignored since there is the level segment during which the baralt will stabilise, but continuous descent profile descents clearly have the aircraft still descending at the DA, so although the law doesn't require it, the sensible pilot will add the PEC to non-precision continuous descent procedure minima.
I don't log on to PPRuNe very often so please direct questions and comments to me at gCAP (
gCAP Main Page).