Cleared for Runway, Keep Best Speed

[aviatoreb]

Related question - what do you guys do if you have AP coupled to the glide slope?  Suppose I am on the glide slope, and roaring along at 160IAS, and my KFC200 is tracking it automatically and beautiful, by controlling pitch.  Then I cannot manually pitch to control speed, but only reduce power, flatten prop, present drag - speed brakes/gear/flaps.  Only without the ability to pitch manually, then there can be an awkward difficulty to slow to gear speed, or more likely, to slow to flap speed, while still coupled to the ILS.   Do I need to uncouple and fly manually for a while?

[M016576]

If I'm on a precision IFR approach in actual IMC down to something less than ~500ft, I wouldn't speed up for a controller or change my stabilized approach parameters for him/her. Not sure if its actually legal for the controller to request that... After all, it's his sequencing mistake that drove such a problem. VMC / VFR is a different story- you could hand fly and execute as described above. The hardest part to that is forcing yourself to level off/ climb slightly to drop your airspeed enough to configure when you're that close to the landing area, the natural instinct is to keep some decent rate in, which spoils the rapid slowing effect and further compresses the situation. If you mess it up, don't be afraid to go around!

[rbridges]

you guys keeping all this speed into the final, when are you dropping gear?  My gear speed is 115 knots (?).  It seems like keeping gear up and being rushed is a bad recipe.

[aviatoreb]

 The hardest part to that is forcing yourself to level off/ climb slightly to drop your airspeed enough to configure when you're that close to the landing area, the natural instinct is to keep some decent rate in, which spoils the rapid slowing effect and further compresses the situation.

 

I was following you until this advice.  Can you restate a different way as I the way you said it confused me and I sense there is something I want to understand here.  

 

Always good advice to go around if it is not unfolding as needed.  Thanks for reminding me again.

[jetdriven]

I(f you need to come down and slow down, come down first, level off, then put out the gear and flaps, then resume descent.  There has to be a level off somewhere to slow the speed down to add the drag.

[Oscar Avalle]

I see this problem all the time at my current home base. Most of the traffic are Embraer 195, 320  and 737s. Several times I was told to do 360s for traffic. Not a big deal...

[David Mazer]

The turbo Mooneys can't have the power dropped like the non-turbo models.  Even at MP's less than 25" I'm gentle on the throttle.  I'd be uncomfortable using the power drop as my main method of slowing down.  The reduced descent, brakes, gear, and, eventually, flaps (Vfe on the k is 112 kts while Vlo is 140 and there is no limit on brake deployment) yes but power not so much.

 

I must not be doing something right because I usually find it something of a challenge to get down to 140 kts when ATC brings me in high, as they always seem to do, to get everything configured quickly and stay on track for the pattern even when I've reduced power as much as possible in the descent (I'm limited to no less than 25" MP).

[1964-M20E]

Dave I do not have your situation with the turbo however, if I’m high 8 to 12k and between 50 to 60 miles to my destination I generally request lower from ATC. This way I can establish a nice even decent of 500 to 750fpm with good airspeed and ground speed. I’m not sure all controllers know our capabilities of decent to manage altitude, speed and engine. I tend to help them out and not that they totally forget about us but if they get somewhat distracted by targets closer in by the time they get back to us you may have to fly like a rock to get down. However, flying into ORL I’m never high ATC drops me early for all the 737s going in and out of MCO.

[aviatoreb]

The turbo Mooneys can't have the power dropped like the non-turbo models.  Even at MP's less than 25" I'm gentle on the throttle.  I'd be uncomfortable using the power drop as my main method of slowing down.  The reduced descent, brakes, gear, and, eventually, flaps (Vfe on the k is 112 kts while Vlo is 140 and there is no limit on brake deployment) yes but power not so much.

 

I must not be doing something right because I usually find it something of a challenge to get down to 140 kts when ATC brings me in high, as they always seem to do, to get everything configured quickly and stay on track for the pattern even when I've reduced power as much as possible in the descent (I'm limited to no less than 25" MP).

 

Hi Dave,

 

Generally I stay >=25'' until I am "in range" as my CFI describes his operation of the C402 which has similar engines.  That means essentially gliding range like 5-8 mi out or so at which time it is time to think about gear, and so forth.  Then general I will go to 20'' at 5 mi out if it will be a nice stabilized straight in (when not being asked for best speed that is), smoothly moving throttle but in one smooth movement and not worrying about further incremental adjustments.  Then on short final from 20'' I no longer worry about incremental changes in throttle, but I just reduce as needed to adjust the glide slope as necessary for touch down where I want, including also deploying all my drag tools.

 

John, I really like the VSI feature on my GNS430W which shows me the nec. fpm to come in to my target airport at target altitude.