Typical Vertical Descent Rate Poll

[Hank]

7 hours ago, Jerry 5TJ said:

ATC can drop a wrench into the most carefully meshed gears.

Yesterday Potomac Approach held me at 3000' until ~ 4 miles final to the ~ sea level runway, then said "cleared for the visual" so I dropped the Dunlops and dove.  

The G500's "blue banana" raced frantically forward and backward along the magenta line -- but it all worked out  

So much for descent planning. 

I used to periodically get held at 4500 until less than 4 nm from  my home field at 567 msl. My solution was a short detour, two two-minute 360s to lose altitude, then I would slow down headed back to the field.

Another option would be cruise speed, 45° bank, which sheds altitude quickly . . .

[gsxrpilot]

Speed brakes out and nose pointed at the ground, sheds altitude quickly in my 252 without crossing the red line. Then level off and slow to gear speed. Drop the gear and push it over to hold the 140. 

[Jerry 5TJ]

52 minutes ago, gsxrpilot said:

Speed brakes out and nose pointed at the ground, sheds altitude quickly in my 252 without crossing the red line. Then level off and slow to gear speed. Drop the gear and push it over to hold the 140. 

Ditto, except once gear is extended the Ovation can be flown at 165 KIAS.  Wind noise is drowned out by passengers' screams.  

[Jsavage3]

300 FPM when descending with a headwind and 500 FPM down when descending with a tailwind...I don't touch the power until I start getting into the bumps, then I slow her down just a little...

[jlunseth]

On 3/23/2017 at 0:29 PM, Shadrach said:

500fpm.  This makes it easy to know when to start descent. I take my altitude and subtract pattern altitude, divide by one thousand and multiply by two. Cruising at 12,500 and landing at a field with a pattern alt of 1,500' would mean starting my descent when the ETA shows around 22Mins (12,500-1,500 = 11,000/1000 = 11 X 2 = 22). Mild adjustments in descent for extra speed but it typically works out well.

Me too.  500 fpm.  I put the parameters into my 430AW for the needed descent rate to a point "x" miles before the airport, and then radio ATC when it shows about 450.  The reasons for doing it a little early are that (1) they usually take a little time to clear a slow descent, so you might not get the clearance for five minutes or so, and (2) the speed will pick up when I push the nose over, and that will increase the necessary descent rate to around 500.  Its simple math, and if you are coming down 20,000 feet it would take way too long, 67 minutes at 300 to pick a number, v. 40 at 500.  I am also mindful of the 500-1500 descent requirement, although in most of the midwest they really don't care if you are on a "discretion" descent.  I have never been denied a slow descent, and have done quite alot of them, but it does happen with some frequency that they give you a crossing point when you are part way through the descent, and you need to pick up the rate.

I am a diver, I have no problems with ears, but have had passengers who do have difficulty if the rate gets up too high.  500 fpm seems to work for everyone's ears.