Rad Alt Accuracy In Turns

[zippy]

I'm with you, completely. I instructed in T-37s and T-6s and taught an agressive scan, but the OP is referring to what he should be referencing IN the turn. I always taught that even early students should make altitude corrections straight and level (when it's easier and more effective) and shift to a primarily outside scan to clear in a turn.

I usually teach half way down, half way around, crosscheck altitude and airspeed at the 90 in order to anticipate aircraft acceleration rolling wings level on final as they lower the nose to point at the numbers and using minor power corrections to stay on (or more likely correct to) profile. As we know its easier to make smaller corrections in power farther out then some wild ass power input in the grove to avoid landing in the dirt or trying to make the touchdown zone, which are always favorites.

 

[Gatordev]

Miramar is pretty flat around the pattern until you get a couple miles east. That said, unless you were doing FCLPs to the mid runway lens on the left, the pattern was at like 70000 feet for the right to deconflict the inner/outer patterns.....so just like oceana, you aren't flying a cv pattern anyway so it's not like you are flying an approach turn, just making a shuttle descent to land.

I think it's the different nature of our patterns, since ours are much tighter. The LHA pad at NKX has a bunch of elevation changes around it, so the RADALT is kind of worthless for several spots in the pattern.

Makes sense about your shuttle approach. When doing a PAR into there, it feels like you almost have to autorotate to stay on glideslope.

 

[e6bflyer]

Don't be dumb. Use your baro altimeter.
Terrain elevation changes, even in a small area like an OLF. Your instructor, the RDO, and more importantly other aircraft are going to expect you to fly baro altitude. Use the radalt for backup, especially in the turn to final. Halfway down halfway around works great. I am not familiar with the T-6 radalt, but if it is like every other radalt that I have used, it works fine in the turn.

 

[RadicalDude]

Just use DTED!