Approach Timing

On 9/7/04 6:50 AM, john smith wrote the following:

For those of you using handheld GPS's when you fly IFR:

Do you use the throttle to increase/decrease power to match the ground
speed to the approach speed table so the time is correct to the MAP?

Or,

Do you use the distance to the airport to determine/verify the MAP, even
though the time may not have expired?


Either activity seems unnecessary to this relatively new IA pilot.
Maybe because I already have enough to do on an approach.

Option 1 also sounds like a good way to get dangerously slow if you have
a stiff tailwind.

Doesn't seem like the MAP is that important. So what if you are a bit
early or late when you decide you can't see where you're going? The
result is the same, or should be.

Mitty writes:

[...] Doesn't seem like the MAP is that important. So what if you
are a bit early or late when you decide you can't see where you're
going? The result is the same, or should be.

Depending on how big "a bit" is, being late to "go missed" can put one
outside the airspace protected from obstructions.

- FChE

On 9/7/04 1:21 PM, Frank Ch. Eigler wrote the following:

Mitty writes:


[...] Doesn't seem like the MAP is that important. So what if you
are a bit early or late when you decide you can't see where you're
going? The result is the same, or should be.


Depending on how big "a bit" is, being late to "go missed" can put one
outside the airspace protected from obstructions.

- FChE

Point taken, but you can do rough math within "a bit" in your head I
think. Particularly with a ground speed readout on the GPS. Or
interpolate off the plate.