Simon, Having flown numerous CDAs in commercial and business aircraft, I could easily go down and slow down. The problem was not the aircraft or Flight Management System (FMS) but getting the ATC clearance. Many ATC controllers are not aware that this is possible. In fact, while flying a business jet, I would routinely program my Flight Management System to arrive at the Final Approach fix (5 NM for the end of the runway at 135 kts, and my aircraft had no problem accomplishing this safely. One factor that I will mention is that the FMS had trouble on some of the descents because of the lack of real time winds. This is easily correctable with a new wind grid, but why spend money on something most donβt think is possible? Michael xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx R. Michael Baiada cell - (303) 521-6047 [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> From: srbrown via Mifnet <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2026 12:57 To: [email protected] Cc: Jack Keady <[email protected]>; srbrown <[email protected]> Subject: [Mifnet π° 75630] Re: continuous descent approaches Jack The answer is in my opening comment, ie "Most commercial jet aircraft can go down, or they can slow down, but they don't do both at the same time very well." A continuous descent approach (CDA) often requires you to do both at some point. It has nothing to do with what computers can do, or "think" they can do, but simply the laws of physics. Even the smartest computer programmers and slickest keyboard warriors on the flight deck cannot change those. Besides which, I've never considered the Airbus flight management computers to be that smart at calculating descent profiles accurately or reliably. CDAs we're always a sop to the noise abatement lobbies yet I've never seen any evidence they use less power and are hence quieter than the manufacturers' recommended technique (my emphasis), which is to use minimum power in the descent and then carry out any deceleration in the level segment whilst still at idle power. I've seen that in all Airbus flight crew training manuals and also Boeing ones. I don't know what Embraer, Bombardier or Dornier write in theirs but I presume their laws of physics is the same. Many pilots say CDAs are no big deal and sure, you get used to them, but they're less safe than the manufacturers' recommended technique (funny that) and they don't reduce fuel burn or noise. I'll take the counter arguments from other pilots who I know will disagree, possibly because they either know more physics than me or perhaps because they have drunk more of the Korporate Koolaid than I have. Simon -------- Original message -------- From: Jack Keady via Mifnet <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Date: 10/03/2026 19:10 (GMT+02:00) To: David Wardell via Mifnet <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Cc: Jack Keady <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Subject: [Mifnet π° 75627] continuous descent approaches A respected Mif-Aviator wrote "Don't get me started on continuous descent approaches" Keady asks "what's wrong with them? You just dial in the target point and desired altitude and the computer does the rest"
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