When does an instrument approach end?

[NovemberEcho]

I shoot practice approaches all the time, just to keep the approach feel and flow going and keep it easy. But many helo pilots don't.

I used to hate it when the Navy and Army used to come shoot approaches in B06’s. You’d have 3 of them on final with a combined speed of 60kts and you’d see an RJ coming 50 miles out so you had to start breaking out the helo’s cause they wouldn’t beat the RJ in.

 

[MikeD]

I used to hate it when the Navy and Army used to come shoot approaches in B06’s. You’d have 3 of them on final with a combined speed of 60kts and you’d see an RJ coming 50 miles out so you had to start breaking out the helo’s cause they wouldn’t beat the RJ in.

Generally, most helos should fly an approach 90-120 kts, depending on type, only really slowing down to landing speeds once at DH to the runway, or at MDA descending to the runway/taxiway/pad. Point is to slow to a landing at the beginning of said areas, or to maneuvering elsewhere on the field. Helos shouldn't be that slow, that far out, just as they shouldn't be doing the speed of head approaching the touchdown point.

 

[NovemberEcho]

Generally, most helos should fly an approach 90-120 kts, depending on type, only really slowing down to landing speeds once at DH to the runway, or at MDA descending to the runway/taxiway/pad. Point is to slow to a landing at the beginning of said areas, or to maneuvering elsewhere on the field. Helos shouldn't be that slow, that far out, just as they shouldn't be doing the speed of head approaching the touchdown point.

Navy Bell 206’s doing 60kts at 10mi final was the standard.

 

[Stinger]

Generally, most helos should fly an approach 90-120 kts, depending on type, only really slowing down to landing speeds once at DH to the runway, or at MDA descending to the runway/taxiway/pad. Point is to slow to a landing at the beginning of said areas, or to maneuvering elsewhere on the field. Helos shouldn't be that slow, that far out, just as they shouldn't be doing the speed of head approaching the touchdown point.

Coast Guard helicopters would fly their approaches between 100-110 basically all the way down to short final. Took a little more spacing behind them, but nothing outrageous.

 

[MikeD]

Navy Bell 206’s doing 60kts at 10mi final was the standard.

Training squadron birds. But even so, that slow is kind of negative training. For a 206 (TH-57) or UH-1, 90-95 kts to the decel point on short final, is perfectly doable and comfortable.

Coast Guard helicopters would fly their approaches between 100-110 basically all the way down to short final. Took a little more spacing behind them, but nothing outrageous.

That's about right, and they should slow to a landing speed in that time if they are making a spot-landing on the numbers or something. Generally practiced this way for some instrument approaches that are to heliports or helipads (such as Copter VOR/TACAN/NDB), where you can't just come screaming in up until the final moment, you have to take the area from DH or MDA/descent point, and begin slowing/flaring to end up at a hover and touching down on the pad at zero speed....as there is no runway to decelerate over. Something that can't be done when hauling the mail inbound and never slowing, like some guys like to do.