Activate approach phase...A320
 

What is your company SOP in regard to activating approach. When are you supposed to do so?

If you have to hold, would you activate approach phase in the hold? Before hold? After leaving hold?
Why??

[This message has been edited by CaptSensible (edited 01 December 2000).]

Allowed to activate approach once established on localiser and cleared for approach.
Or if making a visual approach, once cleared for the approach.

'activating' the approach simply slows the aircraft down for flap extension,you can see where the 'managed'profile would do it on a 'decelerated 'approach.(a conflict in Canada as one has to be at 200k prior to descent below 3000agl,within 10nm of the field)
'Arming' the approach,when one is'cleared ' for the approach,or as the aircraft is turning in on'nav'(loc' alive)

I think our SOPs call for approach phase activation either when descending through FL100 or when going into selected speed during intermediate approach, but it's largely left to our discretion. I normally do it when the engines wind up to climb power on base leg, keeps the day interesting.

Ah yes....when you're on final and push for managed speed and the bug goes way up there instead of somewhere near approach speed while those engines come back to life, you know that you should have activated...
Our manual tells up to activate somewhere between 18,000 and 10,000 and when managed speed is no longer required, since the LAX ATC will have a field day with you anyway(slow down , descend, go fast....), forget about that wonderful precalculated descend path!! Activating the approach phase really only changes the reference for managed speed. Has nothing to do with your ILS or anything, just where the speed bug goes when you use managed speed. And if you don't do anything and fly your descent/approach in NAV mode ( a managed lateral mode, to include LOC, but not on all A320's out there) , 'Fifi' will automatically activate the approach phase when passing the DECEL waypoint (and it will never be above 7200' AGL, by the way). And since every approach environment is different, they just give us very few guidelines and leave it up to us to screw it up :-)

I forgot to mention,once one is in the 'hold' at the airport(approach fix etc) don't forget to "activate " the approach-save's all the noise ,once one is cleared for approach,after cancelling the "hold"(speed goes to 250 now!!!)

Don't forget the 'regular 4 items'once one is given a "radar Vector"
select HDG,once you do this-descent reverts to Vertical speed,the demonic-2500'rate of descent won't allow you to slow so go-IDLE OPEN(for slowup)
Select AIRSPEED to comply with atc clx,now 'activate'approach.
Finally-clean up the flight plan for the intercept

Thanks guys. Not much different from our own SOP. I can definitely identify with SECS machines comment re managed speed on base leg....vrooom.
One question though. When holding, if you activate approach phase the a/c slows to green dot (min clean). With approach phase not armed in the hold it will fly the 'economy' speed for the hold...which may be higher than green dot. Is it preferable in your view to fly at g/d or economy speed?

Thanks again.

As far I'm aware, the aircrart will go to the relevant hold speed for that alt..... maybe green dot or much higher depending on weight(calc of green dot). As for the previous question we use a policy of 20nm from the airfield to activate and confirm, but as my learned colligues have already said it is an indivudal thing, but it is nice to keep the poxer changes to a min :) :) :)

------------------
Gravity always wins....