Visual Approaches

[Swagbasket 23]

Could one of our wonderful resident CRJ drivers outline the typical procedures for a visual approach? Couldn't find more than a chart in the manuals...

[Matthew2312 95]

Option A- Tune in ILS, Vector yourself onto said ILS Fly ILS

 

Option B- Load in non precision approach VOR GPS NDB etc, Vector yourself onto the approach use snowflake and or PAPI/VASI for vertical guidance to the runway

 

Option C- Load a visual approach in the FMS Extend the centerline using INTC CRS (not working correctly at the moment) vector yourself on to the final and use the snowflake and or PAPI/VASI for vertical guidance to the runway just like option B

 

Option D- Ignore company and FAA policy (read as federal law) and attempt and fly a visual approach without any form of extra guidance when it was available, get a call a few weeks later from the FOQA rep in the union wondering what on earth was going on. File ASAP, hope you haven't done that before. Wait patiently for ASAP review committee to decide your fate. Single source report (accepted). Leave that bad decision behind you and try not to do it again. (I hope my fellow 121 guys enjoy the detail in this option).

 

Now in terms of speed the aircraft will need 5-7 miles, more if you have a strong tailwind, in level flight (key words there) to slow from 250 kts to a landing configuration. At most small/medium airports you will need to be at or below 200 when below 2500 ft AFE and 4 nm of the airport so just keep that in mind. You'll need to time it out so that you are fully configured by 1000 AFE and on speed by 500 AFE. I normally time it so I'm at Flaps 20 and 180-200 kts by the time I'm at 2000 ft AGL and then begin to slow so that I'm configured and stable at 1000ft AGL.

 

Just play around with it. I had a ton of fun in my first year flying the jet learning just how far I could go before slowing down pushing it bit by bit. This shows you what the capabilities of the aircraft are which is useful in an emergency. And really teaches you to understand the energy state of the aircraft with the interchange of both kinetic and potential energy on approach. Now it's all boring and predictable.