mamad:
It is quite hard to say. If you fly the A/C within modern day SOP brackets, as a simple line pilot you will never know. The SOPs are built with a margin, and you never get to learn where the hard limit is because you never get to experience it.
Sort of Catch 22, or the traditional superior knowledge vs. superior skills situation.
But para 1 above is partly bs, pilots happen to travel outside SOP profile now and then. Hence the answer to your question could go like this: Each pilot's limits are different, since they are based on how badly we mismanaged before, and what the outcome had been.
a) couldn't make it to stable approach gate at 1000 and went around -> will never start an approach with that much energy again;
b) made it to to stable approach gate at 1000 sweatting all over -> could do it again, but nothing more.
My personal limit on 9 NM final would be 1500 on top (some excess speed included), if 2000 on top at 9 NM with slow speed and good "drag conf" I may give it a try and see how it ends up. Anything more - "unable for approach".
Love your original question.
Last edited by FlightDetent; 5th Aug 2013 at 23:08.