Full Metal Jackass wrote:
I agree that 800ft AGL at 3NM is too shallow, and 160Kts too fast but when I see your figures. what descent angle are you flying?
I know from my home base we turn base to final around some silos which are approx 1.4NM from the threshold (based on ground track) and we're typically 800feet AGL when we turn. That gives, if my math is correct, around a 5° descent angle which seems reasonable. Your figures would suggest anywhere between a 7.6 and 9.8° angle - maybe this is ok for your aircraft but I've never seen any Cirrus flying such an approach, none of the CSIPs I've flown with have ever proposed such approaches either......
Same I would be about 4.5deg in Cirrus or similar touring aitcraft, maybe 5deg with wind, the figure 1000ft/1nm I quote was for Cub circuit but I just want to highlight that one would never fly 2.5deg slopes VFR it's just not efficient and does not leave room for engine failures (even on chute one needs 400ft agl if power cuts on final), such slope from 3nm will need lot of power and "one hour of flying" with risks of getting hit by masts, gusts, birds, wake, traffic, noise complains...
I fly 3deg when IFR but it's stay low & fast and hope for the best