Learning Outcome

 

VV Approach™ Learning Outcome

VV Approach™ teaches the accurate sequencing of high-speed jet and prop-jet aircraft onto a runway of any alignment. This is a skill that is one of the most difficult in Air Traffic Control and, given that the capacity of an airport is limited by the number of aircraft that can use a runway in a given time, it is an extremely valuable one.

A commonly accepted ideal landing spacing between high-performance aircraft is two minutes. This spacing provides adequate time for the first aircraft of a pair to vacate the runway comfortably in time for the following one to land. It also allows one departing aircraft to take off between each pair of arrivals, providing a very efficient use of the runway. This spacing  can be reduced when wake turbulence separation between successive aircraft on the approach permits it, such as when the lead aircraft is not of heavy weight category. Factors such as taxiway configuration, adverse weather, strong winds, the prioritization of departures or arrivals and other operational constraints will affect the required spacing. VV Approach™ teaches students the implementation of a five-mile (two minute) sequence, but the techniques in doing so are readily applicable to other landing spacings. 

In the later simulator exercises, and as a final learning outcome, the student is required to process 24 to 27 aircraft to a single runway in one hour. As excess spacing in any sequence is cumulative, achieving this result requires strong skills in projection, planning and traffic management. This learning outcome is achieved from a starting point assuming zero previous knowledge or skills.