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Some Pilots Still Find “Climb Via” Procedures Confusing

Automation isn’t enough to avoid pilot deviations. Dassault
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Pilots are frequently misunderstanding and incorrectly programming sophisticated RNAV "Climb Via" departure procedures, leading to a significant increase in pilot deviations at airports like Teterboro and Henderson.
  • The core issue stems from pilots misinterpreting clearances and failing to properly program aircraft automation to comply with intermediate altitude restrictions, even in highly automated business aircraft.
  • These pilot deviations pose significant safety risks by potentially putting aircraft in conflict with other traffic and threaten the continuation or expansion of PBN procedures.
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Just because some business aircraft meet the technical specifications of Level 4 Automation guidelines doesn’t necessarily mean all the flight crews operating these sophisticated systems completely understand the procedures they’re asking the computers to fly.

Rob Mark

Rob Mark is an award-winning journalist, business jet pilot, flight instructor, and blogger.

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