The origins of ILS terminology
I have a question to which I have been unable to find an answer, so I hope you can help. Why is it called shooting an approach? I have tried to find an answer both logically and otherwise, have asked multiple instructors, but have come up empty-handed.
Mr. Moore
Greetings Mr. Moore:
I suspect the phrase shooting an approach worked its way into the aviation lexicon slowly with the advent of the modern ILS system. After all, the localizer and glideslope needles are similar to cross hairs of a gun sight in the sense that they help us to keep an airplane pointed (referenced) to a specific spot on the runway (the target). Of course, most pilots don't say "Bang, bang" when they capture the glideslope, nor do they blow on the tip of their spinner after landing (although such behavior wouldn't necessarily be discouraged by playful CFIs, either). The fact is that we are constantly adjusting our aim during the approach, and sometimes we miss our target with a "missed approach," too.
Approach speeds
Dear Rod:
I'm about to start working on learning how to fly ILS approaches. The catch is that I'm changing instructors at the same time. Until now, I had it pounded into me that I should fly at 90 knots with a descent of 500 feet per minute, even if the plane is a Cessna 172.
The new instructor wants me to fly the final at 80 kt in a 172, reasoning that breaking out of overcast at 200 feet above ground and having to slow down from 90 kt so rapidly for the landing is not something practical to do.
I'm running into different views on this subject and have an uneasy feeling about this. What's the wise way to go about it?
Thank you,
Mr. X
Greetings X Man:
Fly the approach at the speed recommended by your CFI. He's in charge of you for now, so do it his way. This really isn't a big deal at all.
Make sure you check the descent gradient chart and find the rate of descent required for the glideslope angle at 80 knots groundspeed and memorize it (you may have to interpolate the descent rate, but don't call Interpol for help). Be prepared to change the descent rate to accommodate different groundspeeds, because they will vary when shooting real ILS approaches. In the real world at busy airports, you'll often be asked to fly approaches at different speeds. Stopping safely on a precision instrument runway isn't normally an issue with smaller general aviation airplanes, even if they fly the approach at slightly faster speeds than normal.
Demo flight concerns
Dear Rod:
On a recent demo flight, I had a flight instructor whose behavior troubled me. I know a bit about flying since I have a few friends who fly. That's why I'd like to ask you a few questions. On this flight we did not go over any checklists during the flight. He did go over and explain (somewhat) the preflight inspection; however, he missed a few crucial points like not checking the fuel level and consistency. After the inspection, we got into the airplane and began taxiing without any prestart checklist. The instructor did not go over any pretakeoff checklists.
The instructor got into runup position and maneuvered the airplane to the runway, and handed over the controls to me for the takeoff. Is this OK to do?
At the end of the flight, I did not receive a logbook.
Was the instructor in violation of any FAA regulations or anything like that?
Sincerely,
Warren
Greetings Warren:
I wouldn't necessarily expect the CFI to go over the checklists with you on a demo flight. This is, after all, a demo flight, not an official flight lesson. I would, however, expect him to use some "form" of checklist for the critical phases of flight. Giving the CFI the benefit of the doubt, it's possible that he didn't miss any items at all but did them covertly. It's also possible that he checked the fuel level before you arrived, which is something I've done on several occasion to give me a little more time to spend with the prospective student. Keep in mind that you can't expect a CFI to treat someone on a demo flight the same way he or she'd treat that person on an actual lesson.
Regarding the logbook, I wouldn't expect the CFI to provide you with a logbook on this flight, either. If you purchased a logbook, then I'm sure the CFI would have signed it for you (and would probably still do so if you ask).
Warren, I think the CFI you flew with is probably just fine. I like the idea that he handed the airplane over to you for takeoff. He's obviously comfortable with his ability to supervise you, and you must have done something to convince him that he should let you fly. As long as you like him, this sounds like a good match to me. And if you're worried about his behavior, then ask him about it if you decide to fly with him again.
Landing in sequence
Dear Rod,
Please consider this scenario and let me know what could have been done differently. Two airplanes are at the same altitude and approximately the same distance from the airport coming in to land. The Cessna 182 is 2.5 miles to the east, the Columbia 350 is three miles to the west. The Columbia is traveling 20 to 25 knots faster than the Cessna. The tower (Class D airspace in operation) instructs the Columbia to follow the Cessna, which proves to be impossible because of the Cessna's slow approach speed. The Columbia has to break off and circle around.
My inclination, should this happen again (because it is the third time in recent memory), is to indicate to the tower the difference in approach speeds of the two airplanes. Any suggestions? Many thanks.
Columbia 350 Pilot
Greetings Ms. C350P:
There are times when the landing sequence a controller offers just won't work for you. The PIC is sometimes in a better position to judge the effects of a landing arrangement. If you feel the instructions provided by the tower won't work, then do something about it. This doesn't mean you can dismiss the controller's clearance, but it also doesn't mean you must accept it, either. It does mean that you should recommend or suggest to the controller an alternative that will work for both airplanes. The secret here is to give the controller options. Instead of saying, "No way Jose, if I get any slower I'll stall and fall," you might say, "Tower, based on my present position and speed I could take the number one position without affecting the other airplane. Would this work for you?" Tower controllers like the idea of options and courtesy. They know that pilots are often better aware of the position and capabilities of their airplanes.
On the other hand, airplanes fly only as fast or slow as pilots want them to fly, up (or down) to a point. Is there any reason you couldn't slow down, fly a longer downwind, and accept the sequence as directed? After all, this is one of the reasons we learn slow flight, right? Your Columbia 350 is a very versatile airplane and shouldn't have any problem with relatively slower speeds in the pattern. Then again, if you don't feel comfortable flying slowly, how about requesting a 360 on the downwind? Perhaps an S-turn? But no U-turn, OK?
Rod Machado is a flight instructor, author, educator, and speaker. A pilot since 1970 and a CFI since 1973, he has flown more than 8,000 hours and owns a Beech A36 Bonanza. Visit his Web site.
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