9.7 Descent Performance & Energy Management

Descent Characteristics 
 
 Typically flown at idle thrust 
 Vertical path controlled manually (VA SOP) 
 Speed managed automatically 
 
 
 Energy State Awareness 
 Pilots must continuously assess: 
 
 Altitude vs distance 
 Speed vs configuration 
 
 
 High Energy Situation 
 
 Too fast / too high 
 
 Correction methods: 
 
 Increase descent rate 
 Use speed brakes 
 
 
 Low Energy Situation 
 
 Too slow / too low 
 
 Correction methods: 
 
 Reduce descent rate 
 Increase thrust 
 
 
 Core Rule 
 “Energy must be managed early – not corrected late.”