An old chestnut, use of VS in climb?
An old debate I know and certainly less important on modern gen aircraft, but......
22 years of flying 320/330 and I have never used VS in climb at high altitudes. I figure if the ROC drops off to near zero in op clb or clb then its natures way of suggesting you are aiming to high. I have always figured maintaining speed is more important than maintaining a specific roc.
BUT my new airline, MOST pilots have been using VS to maintain a certain roc, usually about 500 fpm, in the last thousand feet or so before level off (320, heavy) and letting the speed wander back occasionally towards VLS.
I find this odd particularly in light of the fact that that the company has issued a notice cautioning flying too high over terrain where mountain wave activity has caused several serious "loss of altitude" events.
Am I missing something here? Do many other operators condone VS up high?