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Do airliners still fly landing patterns?
Looking through some old commercial aircraft flight manuals, I find there are usually pages devoted to the subject of how to fly the landing pattern in the aircraft: when to lower flaps and gear and so on. I am wondering whether this kind of thing is still used or whether its use is fading?
Re: Do airliners still fly landing patterns?
It is still available as a profile in the FCTM for the rare instance you’re cleared for an approach and enroute center controller just tells you radar services terminated, frequency change approved.
Re: Do airliners still fly landing patterns?
convair880mfan wrote:Looking through some old commercial aircraft flight manuals, I find there are usually pages devoted to the subject of how to fly the landing pattern in the aircraft: when to lower flaps and gear and so on. I am wondering whether this kind of thing is still used or whether its use is fading?
It's a good guideline for visual approaches, sure. It's also a great guideline for speed management when you have discretion.
The principles in the pattern diagram, like flap extension schedule, are very relevant - they come right out of the FCOM. You're advised to follow those pretty much always as situation dictates. In terms of the track diagram, I wouldn't say that's as relevant as it may have been in the past, certainly not as a "strict" guide.
Depends on where you fly as well - JFK/LGA/BOS, etc., any major airport, you're going to have speeds assigned basically from top of descent all the way to about a 5 mile final, so it comes down to the individual situation when you're going to drop the gear, etc., if you need another notch of flaps to keep the airplane in bounds while complying with a speed restriction, stuff like that.
Last edited by bluecrew on Thu Dec 23, 2021 7:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Do airliners still fly landing patterns?
convair880mfan, reference your question:
yes, of course they are still used--at least at my operator--because as pilots transition to a new aircraft, they need a certain amount of structure and defined procedure until they gain experience and confidence in flying the aircraft. The caveat to this, naturally, is that we also expect pilots to have flexibility and hopefully exercise good judgment so as to be able to vary from those procedures when required; for example, ATC request for higher airspeed or being assigned an altitude higher than standard.
As an example, in the A320 series, in a perfect world, if an aircraft is making a downwind arrival to an airport, my carrier recommends being at Flaps 1 and 210 KIAS abeam the airfield. Then, we teach to reduce to 180 KIAS and select Flaps 2 on base, then gear down and Flaps 3 one mile prior to the FAF, and finally, Flaps Full and landing checklist crossing the FAF.
In another aircraft I flew, it was similar--Flaps 20 abeam the airport, Flaps 30 on base, Gear and Flaps 40 a mile from the FAF, and Flaps 50 at the FAF. If making a straight in approach, the saying was, "20/20: Flaps 20 at 20 nm from the field."
You will get many more responses to your question, but couple this with your previous question about drag devices and slowing down, and this is where judgement and experience come in to play, with the need for speedbrakes and perhaps gear to achieve the desired results of speed, configuration, and proper glidepath.
The reason for a structured landing pattern is: it gives the pilots a basic plan of airspeed, altitude and configuration from which they can begin to deviate, as necessary. A plan provides a basis from which you can begin to deviate.
e38
convair880mfan wrote:I am wondering whether this kind of thing is still used?
yes, of course they are still used--at least at my operator--because as pilots transition to a new aircraft, they need a certain amount of structure and defined procedure until they gain experience and confidence in flying the aircraft. The caveat to this, naturally, is that we also expect pilots to have flexibility and hopefully exercise good judgment so as to be able to vary from those procedures when required; for example, ATC request for higher airspeed or being assigned an altitude higher than standard.
As an example, in the A320 series, in a perfect world, if an aircraft is making a downwind arrival to an airport, my carrier recommends being at Flaps 1 and 210 KIAS abeam the airfield. Then, we teach to reduce to 180 KIAS and select Flaps 2 on base, then gear down and Flaps 3 one mile prior to the FAF, and finally, Flaps Full and landing checklist crossing the FAF.
In another aircraft I flew, it was similar--Flaps 20 abeam the airport, Flaps 30 on base, Gear and Flaps 40 a mile from the FAF, and Flaps 50 at the FAF. If making a straight in approach, the saying was, "20/20: Flaps 20 at 20 nm from the field."
You will get many more responses to your question, but couple this with your previous question about drag devices and slowing down, and this is where judgement and experience come in to play, with the need for speedbrakes and perhaps gear to achieve the desired results of speed, configuration, and proper glidepath.
The reason for a structured landing pattern is: it gives the pilots a basic plan of airspeed, altitude and configuration from which they can begin to deviate, as necessary. A plan provides a basis from which you can begin to deviate.
e38
Re: Do airliners still fly landing patterns?
It’s really depending on the operator, destinations and kind of operation. I used to fly for an European company that did mostly holiday charter flights. If the weather and traffic situation was acceptable I often requested visual approaches (following the prescribed pattern) in the Canary Islands, Greek Islands and Egypt. It’s a good way to keep up your handling skills and usually also results in less track miles, therefore less fuel burn and less flight time. However in other kinds of operation it is rarely done. Airlines that mostly fly to very busy European airports will rarely ever do a visual approach, because traffic load is usually too high and in some airports it is even prohibited for jet aircraft (mostly due to noise abatement). It also depends on the pilots - some pilots prefer to stick to the instrument procedures even if a visual approach is offered.
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