Plane and Pilot

FEBRUARY 28, 2025

And lets face it, the key to that flawless approach is often a well-planned descent. In the airline world, descent planning and execution receives a lot of attention. Like so much of aviation, there are several ways to skin this descent cat. Planning the Descent So, when is a good time to start planning the descent ?

Descent 55

Descent Approach Final Approach Turbulence 55

Pilot Institute

FEBRUARY 15, 2025

The pilots fought to recover, but the wind shear was too strong. This weather phenomenon is called a microburst , one of aviations deadliest threats. Key Takeaways Microbursts can cause severe wind shear and downdrafts. It is the most severe type of wind shear. So, what makes microbursts so dangerous?

Wind Shear 66

Wind Shear Weather Descent Approach 66

Photographic Logbook

APRIL 19, 2024

This year, a promising weather forecast featuring high freezing levels (expected to be 9,000+ feet) led to a decision to fly myself. The day before departure, satisfied that days of consistent weather forecasts reasonably assured a successful flight, I cancelled the rental car reservation. So that was of no help to me.

Approach 69

Approach Wind Shear Runway VOR 69

Pilot Institute

MAY 1, 2024

The landing minimums section includes: Minimum descent altitudes. Preflight Planning Some pilots believe an approach briefing means skimming the chart right before descent. The weather can change, and approach equipment can fail. Get the destination weather as soon as possible. Decision altitudes/heights.

Approach 52

Approach NOTAMs Runway Weather 52

Chess In the Air

JUNE 24, 2022

He frequently hosted visiting pilots, providing them with detailed briefings of the area and the weather. The CAPE index, a measure of convective energy and instability, was below 100 joules, indicating a very low probability of severe weather or thunderstorms. Boundary layer winds were moderate at 10-20 kt out of the WNW.

Pilot 52

Pilot AGL Wind Shear Runway 52

Aerotime

JULY 26, 2024

However, the aircraft experienced wind shear, dropped below the glideslope and became thrust deficient. The Accident Investigation Board found that the primary cause of the crash was the crew’s ineffective crosscheck, which failed to notice the aircraft’s decreasing airspeed and descent rate.

Wind Shear 265

Wind Shear Instrument Landing System Final Approach Runway 265

Northstar VFR

MARCH 23, 2025

Weather, hazardous conditions, wind, or a congested pattern can also add challenges to the approach making it more likely to be unstable. There are several criteria that must be met for a pilot to descend below Decision Altitude/Decision Height (DA/DH) or Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA) on an instrument approach.

Pilot 52

Pilot Wind Shear Runway Approach 52