Originally Posted by
DOUBLE BOGEY
It is now mandated that for NPAs the Operator shall specify a Constant Descent Final Approach, (CDFA) the principle being to stabilise the Descent AND to minimise the risks of unnecessary time spent tracking towards the MAPT at low height. Certainly ARAs in EASA land follow this principle.
As said above, not mandated for RW. Also, ARAs are not flown as a CDFA. A "CDFA" is flown like a Precision Approach to a Decision Altitude/Height (actually a DDA, to allow a margin such that the MDA/H is not infringed on go around) not a Missed Approach Point. SPA.HOFO specifically talks about planning the approach so that the "levelling" is not done at the same time as other manoeuvres.
In order to follow the guideline that the procedure should not generate an unacceptably high workload for the flight crew, the required actions of levelling at MDH, changing heading at the offset initiation point (OIP), and turning away at MAPt should not be planned to occur at the same NM time from the destination
The vertical profile diagrams also show a definite level segment.
ARAs as currently flown most certainly fit with your statement that:
ALL safe IMC approaches contain the same 3 elements. A defined horizontal profile, a defined vertical profile (both designed to clear obstacles by the minimum criteria) and a point in space to aim for (DH, DA, MDH/MDH+MAPT.
but they are not CDFAs as defined, which is where your use of the term is maybe confusing other posters.