1.First of all, what altitude are you supposed to have overhead the IAF (SPK NDB)?
2.The next question would be ,what flap/gear configuration did they set at what point of the approach ?
3.Did you arrive fully configured above the IAF to make things easier with the timing ,so you can calculate the whole approach with a rather constant Groundspeed?
4.And how far would you fly outbound from IAF ?
No further than 10 miles thats clear,but would how do you time it?
In a way so that once you've completed the course reversal you can descent constantly with a 3degree path from 9000ft to 8200ft?
In other words so you end up at a distance of roughly 2.7 NM from the NDB?
Seems hard to do all this while at the time configuring at the plane therefore changing the groundspeed again and the time calculation all the time.
Okay I'll give it a try
1. At least 9.000 (MA / Hldg Alt)
2. On 727 our SOP was to config to F15 before or reaching SPK (depending where you were comming from)
3. No, over SPK we dropped the gear, starting final descent and selected landing flaps
4. Time it to cross SPK at 8.200, yes leaving 9.000 on inbd course approx 2.7 NM before SPK
Later on our SOP had changed to leave SPK in landing config, if in IMC.
regards