Here I am again on this.
The "YOUNG GUYS" as described do not have and hopefully will never need the "skills" that were needed to do a DME arival/NDB track to the night minima at Paraburdoo in the dark followed by a 270 degree circling approach in a "black hole" to actually survive as no alternate was planned or needed under the "rules" as they were on the day.
We did it in DC3, F27 and F28 on a regular basis and even when the WX was CAVOK if we were not "current" we were encouraged to practice the proceedure so it was hopefully as close to second nature as we could make it.
The Crossair may be a CFIT or an iceing or a rollback or a stuffup or God knows what BUT it was a NPA when others were available and it may have caught out our fellow aviators.
Most airlines these days go from ILS to ILS and a NPA is usually a runway orientated approach which is ABSOLUTELY best flown on a constant slope. Training and PRACTICE are the only way to achieve the SAFE and CONSISTENT standards required for this "non standard proceedure".
Most Airlines make the high use of the flight directors in normal operations and these need more "programing" and UNDERSTANDING in NPA mode as the steps are usually required to be set by SOP's, V/S mode can intrude at "capture" of a step etc etc. This increased workload must be trained for and UNDERSTOOD by the crew, the trainers, the checkers and the Airlines SOP's.
The DIVE method does have its followers and may be appropriate in some places with low sector altitudes, MDA/MAP on your side of the airfield from arrival direction followed by a circling approach and needs to be TRAINED, PRACTICED and UNDERSTOOD.
Regretably most training these days is to the minimal cost for the required result and does not in my book provide what is needed in Airmanship, awareness or sadly common sense.
I have for my sins been and am again in the training seat and the lack of awareness of some is a concern in many areas, not only in the recruits, but much further up the food chain.
The system will reap what it sows.
Debates such as this will help to keep the "blue side up" so keep it coming.
