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Aviation => Pilot/Controller Forum => Topic started by: neeraj2825 on December 23, 2014, 10:28:53 AM

Title: Continuous Descent Operations (CDO)
Post by: neeraj2825 on December 23, 2014, 10:28:53 AM
i am neeraj working as air traffic controller would like to know  Continuous Descent Operations (CDO).A procedure design and ATC facilitation, in which an arriving aircraft descends continuously to the greatest possible extent. things to know

1. this really result in increase in descent rate ?
2. how it decreases the drag ?
3. this really decrease the speed?

share the experience ?
Title: Re: Continuous Descent Operations (CDO)
Post by: InterpreDemon on December 23, 2014, 12:37:14 PM
Everything you could possibly want to know about CDO is here:

http://www.aviationsystems.arc.nasa.gov/publications/2010/Robinson_ATIO2010_Final.pdf

Doesn't save much fuel (consumption being proportional to induced drag, which is greater when holding altitude than while descending), if any, and trying to coordinate arrivals of different types with different ideal descent profiles would be a nightmare, especially during periods of congestion:

"In general, the estimated fuel savings per flight is quite modest. The estimated fuel savings per flight was less
than 100 kg for more than 87% of the flights. In fact, the estimated fuel savings per flight was less than 25 kg for
more than 45% of flights. The 13% of the flights with the greatest savings accounted for 37% of the estimated fuel
savings."