Staying in class B on a Vis app

[wscrj]

Yup, as far as altitude is concerned. The speed restrictions (200 KIAS/Clean Maneuver) cannot be legally exceeded, unless invoking Captain authority/emergency.

§ 91.117 Aircraft speed.

(c) No person may operate an aircraft in the airspace underlying a Class B airspace area designated for an airport or in a VFR corridor designated through such a Class B airspace area, at an indicated airspeed of more than 200 knots (230 mph).

d) If the minimum safe airspeed for any particular operation is greater than the maximum speed prescribed in this section, the aircraft may be operated at that minimum speed.

There is no "unless authorized by ATC" caveot for speed.

Dumb rule, no argument here. But with a Fed in the seat....

 

[elcid]

That's something I still haven't figured out. Why do we "dive and drive" at SWA. If you're cleared for the visual and you stay on the GS you'll hit the step downs, give the pax a better ride, and probably save a little gas in my estimation. Why not just set the GSIA and stay on the GS? I've never seen it done like this anywhere else. Not saying it's wrong, but I'm not sure it's right either. I haven't seen an approach where it makes a difference.

 

[Widow's Son]

I'll tell you why. Usually, you can either be on glideslope or 250 but not both, especially at LAS and SJC that often have tailwinds on extended final.

Staying on the glideslope means that you are going to have to dirty up early and slow everybody up behind you. Or, one of your slopers ahead is doing it and now ATC needs you to slow and it is going to put you way high so now you have to S-turn which really screws the guys behind you.

To keep the final moving fast and efficient, you have to stay at the bottom rungs of the approach ladder in order to have a cushion to slow and configure or slow for the pokey ahead of you.

The dive and drive can be done smoothly with minimal perception to the pax. It is a thing of beauty to watch a string of old schoolers drive 250 as long as they can and then dump the gear and start to configure at eight miles or so and hit final approach speed at 1000AGL. Then along comes a sloper who is slowing and configuring at 20 and the next four or five behind him are forced to slow down too and the whole sewer gets backed up.

Like most skills, it is all in the execution. It can be done very smoothly and efficiently.

 

[Saabslime]

There are also several airports where you have to pay attention to class B boundaries and speed on departure. One that comes to mind is San Jose CA right under SFO's airspace. We've had a couple of guys get LOI's by an overzealous Fed while accelerating to 250 after cleanup.

Would it really be that hard to come up with a departure procedure with altitude/speed restrictions in these cases? I know this is basic airmanship but it's just one more landmine out there we have to worry about.