Visual Approach
Experienced pilots appear to fly a visual by feel. One year into my first jet job, flying by feel just wasn't coming fast enough, so I set out to create my own method. Here were the objectives:
-
Robust - A procedured that can be used at most any airport regardless of what approaches are available. A method that works for all possible weights, adverse winds, and high density altitudes.
-
Safe -
Maximizes altitude and stays close to the airport environment in order to avoid obstacles and other traffic.
-
Efficient - Maximizes speed and minimizes the path to the runway.
-
Ease - Requires the least skill, makes the most use of automation, minimizes time critical steps, and easy for the other pilot to monitor.
Ultimately, I found no single method was best for all situations so here is a collection of different methods and the math behind them.
The Methods -
The Math -