Originally Posted by
Icelanta
The sim is perfect to show you the VISUAL clues in minimum wx. To correctly follow the path. It also gives you confidence flying the procedure with an engine failure.
The highway and baseball stadium are the prominent visual clues to identify and to correctly align yourself with the prescribed approach path.
The lead in lights are obviously a help too, but the VOR/GPS approach to rwy13L is flown looking mainly outside, especially once at 800ft. And lower.
But once again, there is absolutely NO valid reason to have to fly such an approach other than politics and unwillingness by the authorities and airlines alike to put Safety first at KJFK.
It' s the same at Nice and a few other places.
Not mentioning many others where it's not due to noise abatement but for survival purposes close to terrain (turkey has a few of them).
We need to get on with it.
Mistakes are always around the corner no doubt, but are you suggesting that someone who is in command of a 570.000 kg jet (or second in command for that matter) should not be perfectly able to easily hand fly them?