Trial PBN instrument flight procedures in Croatia

what_next wrote:

I have heard of many things in aviation, but never about this one.

Well, I have… It has happen several times in Sweden that procedures have been published in AIP with the note that they are trial procedures and only approved operators may use them.

Emir wrote:

http://www.heathrow.com/file_source/HeathrowNoise/Static/Heathrow_Slightly_Steeper_Approach_Trial_Report.pdf

That one was interesting. I am surprised that such a small change (7% height increase) could give a significant noise reduction.

It’s not the height, I guess. It’s probably because the approach can be flown with a lower power setting when steeper.

dylan_22 wrote:

It’s probably because the approach can be flown with a lower power setting when steeper.

That makes a lot of difference. For example “my” little Citation Encore needs around 50% N1 (which is quite a lot on the approach) on a 3 degree glideslope to fly one of those SOP textbook “stabilised” approaches where one is supposed to be fully configured and at Vref once past 1000ft above threshold. Noisy, inelegant and ineffective but allegedly the safest way to fly an approach. At 4 degrees, idle power setting (flight idle will give something like 25% N1) is sufficient to fly the same approach. Any steeper than 4 degrees and speed brakes will be required to stay on speed, London City with 5.5 degrees can not be flown with this aeroplane as it will keep accelerating at idle and maximum drag…

Airborne_Again wrote:

Well, I have… It has happen several times in Sweden that procedures have been published in AIP with the note that they are trial procedures and only approved operators may use them.

OK, “approved operators” makes a lot of difference to me. One of my frequent destinations (EDAB) is about to get an RNAV (GPS) approach for runway 07 with the next AIRAC cycle (runway 25 has had such an approach for a decade now). The calibration flights were done last week. But I have a copy of the approach plates since half a year when they were constructed by DFS. However I would not have dared to fly that approach on my own before the calibrator did his job…

I once read on PPL/IR that new procedures are sometimes delayed in Jeppesen, because they wait until 10-15 people ask for the same approach. It was a thread about new approaches, I believe at Lands End or so, and after a couple of people from the thread asked Jeppesen, it became available. I thought that was interesting point, but I have no idea if this would be the same here.

What exactly is a calibrator calibrating, and what novel things are being trialled? Is it testing for the billionth-time how accurate GPS with WAAS is, or that these newfangled GPS approaches work, given that this technology has only been in safe use for two decades?

Cobalt wrote:

What exactly is a calibrator calibrating, and what novel things are being trialled?

I have no idea nor have the airfield owners/administators with whom I talked about it at length and who will get billed 12.000 Euros for the calibration flight. And again in five years and again in fife years and so on…