Hi I'm in Kandahar Airport and approaching starts here from high altitude closer to secure area to avoid shooting by Taliban .The small and large planes just diving before landing and in the last phase level and final .Now I'm trying to land same way with PMGD MD-11 but I have real problem to reduce to the landing speed ,auto or manually its impossible .I know that MD11 is equipped with speed protections ,how pilots would land in real life Same problem in Innsbruck (LOWI) Austria .I cant reduce below 170 ktnPlease adviceJacekHappy landing

Simple solution: Get a C-17! :( :( You could try to decrease your load, a lighter aircraft would slow down easier and have a lower Vref!I'm not sure Innsbruck and tactical descents are not suited to the MD-11 btw, I could be wrong though... :(

I should think that your best be would be to try and find some data or anecdotal tales on the Tristars that used to be employed by the RAF and a few other air forces as tankers and troop transports. Granted the MD-11 and the L-1011 are not the same aircraft, but they are roughly the same configuration and would therefore presumably use similar techniques for a 'Khe Sanh approach', as I believe most cargo pilots refer to that sort of thing.One of the simplest protection measures that is used at Kandahar and Basra, is to depart and arrive at night, so that's one thing you ought to be doing, I suspect the real thing involves NVG too, but there you're a bit stuck unless you fancy lobbying PMDG for a very bizarre patch.On a more practical note, you might also take a look at the Embraer regional jet or BAe-146, and how they get into London City Airport, which has a much steeper descent approach than the regular 3.5 degree path of most airports, to avoid all the buildings in and around Canary Wharf. I imagine some of the techniques they employ on those jets might give you some ideas. It should be easy enough to find stuff about the Embraer's certification for that approach, as it was only tested and approved a couple of months ago.Al

Jacek,Why don't you try a slip? This will allow you to descend at a higher rate than normal without gaining excessive airspeed.James

I wonder how high you should be at the key location on downwind (abeam the LZ) to accomplish an unpowered gliding turn 180 deg to landing? A tactical approach is not a 3 nm straight in path accross same ground every day.. hmmm, something to play with.

I wonder how high you should be at the key location on downwind (abeam the LZ) to accomplish an unpowered gliding turn 180 deg to landing? A tactical approach is not a 3 nm straight in path accross same ground every day.. hmmm, something to play with.

If you can do that in an MD-11, then you might be able to get an MD-11 into Toncontin! (It has that kind of approach) :DBut Kandahar surely has a longer runway than Toncontin.

I have set up an approach into Kandahar where you are at 10,000 downwind abeam the runway threshold, descend in an arc with some (not much) power and land on Ry 23 (elev 3038).The attached file is a sidstar procedure file... you only need to put it in your pmdg/sidstar folder.. I didn't find one there already from navigraph. There is one approach, TAC23 (Tactical Ry 23), which starts on a 5 mile downwind then the arc the a short 0.5 nm final. I was almost at max landing, used gear and Flaps50 throughout arc. Really fun.

But what did you do about the small arms fire Dan? Any holes in the MD-11 now?

Only when told in the officer's club :(

I've found this. Hope its help. http://www.motca.gov.af/plates.htmMarco.

I've found this. Hope its help. http://www.motca.gov.af/plates.htmMarco.

Wow, NICE find. Thanks a lot, I'll bookmark that for sure.

Hi I'm in Kandahar Airport and approaching starts here from high altitude closer to secure area to avoid shooting by Taliban .The small and large planes just diving before landing and in the last phase level and final .Now I'm trying to land same way with PMGD MD-11 but I have real problem to reduce to the landing speed ,auto or manually its impossible .I know that MD11 is equipped with speed protections ,how pilots would land in real life Same problem in Innsbruck (LOWI) Austria .I cant reduce below 170 ktnPlease adviceJacekHappy landing

To do high altitude jet penetrations you have to have the aircraft slowed downed and in final landing configuration before starting the approach. Depending on the aircraft this will usually be in the range of Vref+20. Slow it down before starting it down.Bill Bridges

Please forgive my ignorance but isn't this what corkscrew descents are for?TimPS: a very quick google throws up this, which may be of interest:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6590586/

Looking at the links on the official site, the approach paths don't look anything particularly extraordinary.Is this curved approach written down anywhere, or is it purely a visual procedure flown by the seat of the pants?Best regards,Robin.

Please forgive my ignorance but isn't this what corkscrew descents are for?TimPS: a very quick google throws up this, which may be of interest:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6590586/

A high altitude jet penetration approach and the "corkscrew" approach are not the same.The "corkscrew" approach is a visual approach and the high altitude jet penetration is an instrument approach using a Tacan or Vortac usually tied to an ILS (but not always.)Bill Bridges