Originally Posted by KingChango
using the speedbrakes mean you're literally throwing away energy, and that's bad airmanship.
I hope you mean
planning to use the speedbrakes...
Anybody who won't use the speedbrakes (or configure early...it's the same thing) to correct a high-energy state because of some misguided feeling of incompetence or saving fuel is a mug. Obviously you don't plan to get into a position where you need to use them, but once there, not to use them is plain silly.
I'de send myself to an early grave if I always tried to do better than the 717's VNAV.
