Expert Opinion
Special Ops for Special Airfields
Preparing for the steep approach
Embraer Legacy 500 cockpit approaching London City Airport
Flying the steep approach into London City Airport in an Embraer Legacy 500. © AIN archives

Pilots can be excused for not recalling from their initial type-rating training a dedicated session on steep approaches because if they’re discussed at all, it’s typically a way to spend leftover time in the sim following the completion of a required session.

Unless they happen to be seeking approval to operate a new-to-you aircraft into a particular airport, that is, or for a company that flies into such places regularly. Perhaps that’s because pilots don’t necessarily think of these approaches—until one presents itself in the course of a trip, with conditions that compound the facts of a particular airport. But they feature in accident scenarios often enough to deserve special attention.

Julie Boatman
AIN writer
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