Terrain Clearance During Descent and Approach

Extract

The purpose of the descent and approach is to move the aircraft from the cruise to final approach while keeping within the proper envelopes of speed, acceleration, rate of descent, adherence to A.T.C. clearances, avoidance of bad weather and clearance from terrain and obstructions and other visible aircraft. Man carries out this task, at least until the ILS glide slope is captured. The methods used are not as thorough as the programme an electronic computer would need for this task. Perhaps men prefer to use common sense, but perhaps a high level of safety can only be achieved with thorough rules.