Survey: Visual Descent Point

[ILS37R]

Yeah also not clicking a random link from a new user. Even if others have vouched for it, one must have standard operating procedures in the Wild West of the internet.

As to the survey questions, in my little corner of Part 91 land, our manuals acknowledge that VDPs exist but have no language dictating their use. So it depends on the type I'm flying and my familiarity with the airport and terrain. But whatever we briefed before the approach is what we're going to do, unless we decide to be more conservative, in which case we'll do that.

For scenario two, if I'm flying an instrument approach to minimums in a sport aircraft then I'm already having a pretty bad day and my decision will thus be heavily influenced by how much worse I expect my day to get if I have to go missed back into IMC.

 

[Cherokee_Cruiser]

View attachment 61864

Someone getting ready to fly the GUITR1 arrival into BNA.

 

[Giannipilota]

First of all, I would like to thank the colleagues who participated in the survey and sent hundreds useful feedbacks.

The results reported in the chart (updated until today, with some responses still on the way), confirm that it was a good decision to set up my studies on the current procedures related to VDP.

The chart shows that for both, airlines and private/recreational/sport flights, all available procedures are somewhat used.

Depending on the kind of flight, the procedure adopted for the VDP changes: for instance, Pilots working for a Company comply with procedures given by the Company, while in a private flight the Pilot is more free to decide how to proceed.

I think the reason behind these different scenarios is that the Pilots are coached but not properly schooled/trained.

For airlines flights, Pilots comply with the SOP and Manuals’ instructions, but they don’t seem to have understood (or it might be they have not been fully explained) the reasons behind those instructions (why they have to proceed in a way and not in another).

In other writings, I reported 2 examples of school that are not teaching the correct procedure. One of them added on its website a wrong formula, and, although 3 readers suggested to correct it, nothing has been done so far.

Looking forward to reading your comments!

Kind regards

 

[Autothrust Blue]

For scenario two, if I'm flying an instrument approach to minimums in a sport aircraft then I'm already having a pretty bad day and my decision will thus be heavily influenced by how much worse I expect my day to get if I have to go missed back into IMC.

Yeah I don’t make a habit of such things.

 

[MidlifeFlyer]

Unrelated note (see what I did there?)...

This has pretty much become the standard level in most grad schools programs. My wife sits on a few student's thesis committees each year, and seeing some of the output is pretty sad.

Nothing new. I taught a course in antitrust law for MBA students maybe 30 years ago. Some final exam papers were unreadable.

 

[Maurus]

Honestly most professional pilots no longer need to worry about VDPs. CDFA (CANPA) approaches are used pretty much exclusively these days an they *should* already be on or near the glidepath for the runway.