Approaches at JetBlue

[Dogwood]

Hey JetBlue Airbus drivers,

Can any of you tell me what type of approaches you are certified to do?
Cat II, IIIa, IIIb.

And, which non-precision approaches do you do?
VORs, NDBs, etc. Do your RNAVs have a glideslope?

In my former life at US, all we could do was ILSs and RNAVs with a glide-slope.

ADFs were not installed.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Booster]

CAT IIIb
ILS
VOR, RNAV/GPS Yes there is a G/S

No ADF installed

 

[Dogwood]

CAT IIIb
ILS
VOR, RNAV/GPS Yes there is a G/S

No ADF installed

Thanks,

Looks like the only difference is that we didn't do VORs.

 

[JetPilot_Mike]

No ADF installed

How do you listen to the radio then?

 

[oldxfr8dog]

How do you listen to the radio then?

Enroute, we mostly strum guitars and sing "Koom by ahh" (sp?) as we drink Kool-Aide...

 

[Flying Freddie]

And TV.

 

[jetbluedog]

ILS - Cat IIIB (Although I have yet to shoot one in real life - been drilled in the sim.)

God help me if I have to fly an NDB in my airbus!!

VOR/RNAV have been done, but not frequently

 

[KC-10 Driver]

Another difference between JetBlue and US Airways A320 approach procedures:


At US Airways, we could only do RNAV/FMS approaches in the fully managed mode -- ie. with a glide path computed and followed. Basically just like an ILS.

At JetBlue, we can and sometimes do the non-precision approaches (RNAV/FMS or VOR) non-managed (or selected) vertically. Basically, what one would might call "dive and drive".

Obviously, the fully managed non-precisions are easier and generally safer (they are essentially precision approaches). However, it is not always feasible to do them that way.

One example is the VOR to 13L at JFK when the ceiling is below 1200' (the fully managed MDA is 1200'). To go all the way to mins, you have to use vert speed (or actually, at JetBlue we use selected Flight Path Angle -- FPA) to get all the way down to 800'.

If you've never flown the A320, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about...

 

[Dogwood]

Another difference between JetBlue and US Airways A320 approach procedures:


At US Airways, we could only do RNAV/FMS approaches in the fully managed mode -- ie. with a glide path computed and followed. Basically just like an ILS.

At JetBlue, we can and sometimes do the non-precision approaches (RNAV/FMS or VOR) non-managed (or selected) vertically. Basically, what one would might call "dive and drive".

Obviously, the fully managed non-precisions are easier and generally safer (they are essentially precision approaches). However, it is not always feasible to do them that way.

One example is the VOR to 13L at JFK when the ceiling is below 1200' (the fully managed MDA is 1200'). To go all the way to mins, you have to use vert speed (or actually, at JetBlue we use selected Flight Path Angle -- FPA) to get all the way down to 800'.

If you've never flown the A320, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about...

Thanks... That's what I was looking for. I flew the bus at US Airways as well, and as you know we were very limited as to how we could shoot RNAV approaches.

 

[TonyC]

If you've never flown the A320, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about...

What? Do you think A320's are the only airplanes with FMS's, GPS's, Vert Speed or FPA, VNAV or PROF? Honeywell does a lotta other business, ya know.