Question:
What speed does a business jet approach a runway for landing?
Sporadic
2008-12-12 02:06:44 UTC
110 knots?
Nine answers:
MALIBU CANYON
2008-12-12 22:38:37 UTC
I hope you guys don't fly a Lear 55 at max landing weight. You'll need more speed than what most of you are saying.

Most of the jets I fly have about a 20 knot range, depending on weight. So, even for a given jet, you could easily have a 20 knot range.

And yes, a very light Citation 500 series could have a Vref as low as 90 knots.

It's going to depend, too, on whether the design in question is straight wing or swept.

The ranges for all the jets I've flown, combined, is about 90 (straight wing, very light weight, meaning reserve fuel only and no pax, etc.) to about 136 (swept wing, max landing weight).

Now, that is ref speed. Many operators prefer ref plus 10 on final.
katrina
2016-06-02 18:48:25 UTC
1
lludwig39
2008-12-12 08:46:12 UTC
The speed range listed above is fairly correct, I don't know of ANYONE that flies a jet at a speed of less than 100 kts. Next you need to consider that the process is a little different than your question addresses... in that there is an "approach speed" that you fly from the Initial Approach Fix to the runway, and then there is a "Reference" known as Vref that you want to "cross the fence" or be over the end of the runway ready to touch down. Back in the old days, if you were flying a fairly standard airplane you would use 1.3 x your Vso for your approach speed, and your app. speed would determine what category approach you were going to use (IFR) and would dictate your landing weather minimums (specifically the visibility you were required to have before executing the approach)



If you were in a high performance aircraft that was not capable of slow flight, you would have a higher category requirement. Then comes the modifiers... some airplanes have goofy systems... such as the Falcon (Dassualt) jets the 10 and 20 I know require you to keep a minimum engine setting to provide heat to the leading edges if you are using that for anti-icing, that will inturn make your approach speed higher. All aircraft have different configuration requirements that can alter your approach speed, which makes this subject popular on oral and practical examinations, to see if the candidate is paying attention to the need to adjust the speeds flown due to configuration changes that can be caused by anything from a heavy airplane to missing componets that are not working.



An obvious example would be hydraulic problems that prevent the use of flaps. A "no flap" landing will make a huge change in approach and touchdown speeds.



Assuming a normal aircraft on a normal day, you are going to see approach speeds around 130 kts is the most commonly used. Obviously certain planes and conditions change that case by case. Once the aircraft is very close to the end of the runway, you will retard the powerlevers, and begin to slow to your "Ref" speed and touch down. Depending on your technique will determine what that speed actually is... if you don't flare... you are going to hit hard and will have a higher speed than normal (remember damage increases by the square of the speed) If you keep holding it off, holding it off.. trying to get a squeaker landing, you will eventually run out of airspeed and can even get to the point of actually stalling the plane just above the runway... and it plops down, perhaps more than once.



If you judge it correctly, and you flare the plane as the speed is bleeding off, you will touch down as smoothly as you could desire.



Ironcially.. turboprops are actually capable of being faster on approaches than jets. They can hold a VERY high approach speed right up to the end of the runway, and then chop the power and the props will go flat, and the speed will come of the plane extremely fast.



If you are good at this, and the plane is setup properly, you can hold 200 kts right to the end of the runway, chop the power, touchdown, nail reverse and make the first turnoff and be at the gate about the time that jet is touching down.
NICO
2008-12-12 10:35:29 UTC
Depending on the business jet, the approach landing speed is between 90 an 130 kts.
Jonas
2008-12-12 03:39:10 UTC
Well, it depends on the business jets. It ranges from 90-120 for smaller jets and from 120 to 150 for larger jets such as 737 or 747
raffy_09
2008-12-12 02:10:58 UTC
About 90 actually. But you have to be more specific, different jets have different Vle or landing gear down speeds. Kingairs are about 90, Gulfstreams about 105, Cessna Citations about 110.
Ralph C
2008-12-12 04:25:45 UTC
a kingair isnt a buissness jet. learjets, come in at about 125 knots. cessna cittitation, 115. gulfstream, 125. ansewer minehttps://answersrip.com/question/index?qid=20081212042328AAzUd5V
John B
2008-12-12 09:37:07 UTC
how long is a rope? depends. the 727 i'm sitting in is a business jet. our lowest ref speed is 121 kts.
anonymous
2008-12-12 12:26:46 UTC
somewhere between stall speed and VnE


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