VOR approach SMO

Just for kicks I flew this approach in MS FSX with the CRJ700. I set
the wx to 800 & 3 (no wind) and figured I'd see what kind of
acrobatics I would have to do. I crossed CULVE at 1100' with 130 kts
and flaps 45. I descended for 680 MDA at around 1800 fpm, which
surprisingly did not require any deploy of the spoilers. I broke out
of the clouds and continued this descent until reaching the VASI
glideslope at around 450' and 1/2 mile out. From here on it was a
normal descent and I was able to plop down on the aiming point
markers. For what it's worth, FSX had the threshold being at 0.9 DME.

I know FSX isn't the same as the real world, and I'm not sure I would
want to be dropping that fast at such a low altitude, but it seems
like it wouldn't be a stretch for that Gulfstream to make it in on the
numbers if they were on top of their game....

Erik
CFII, MEI


On Jul 23, 12:39 pm, "Robert M. Gary" wrote:
The other day I shot the VOR approach into SMO for the first time in
low actual. I've often looked at that approach as one of the most
difficult I've seen published so it was interesting to actually try
it. The weather was 008OVC with something like 3sm HZ. I touched down
about 3/4 down the runway and was able to stop without a problem.
However, while taxiing back, I noticed a Gulf Stream land right on the
numbers. There is no way you can tell me he properly flew the approach
and was able to touch on the numbers.
The approach is published as a circle to land (I assume because of the
extreme nature of the decent) but they certainly were not offering to
allow anyone to circle. In fact there was a steady line of jets coming
in, it would probably have been unlikely to get a circle approved.

Last night I departed. AWOS was reporting 005OVC. I took off right
around 21:10. There was a large Citation right behind me picking up
his clearance. I didn't ever hear him depart on approach frequency so
I'm assuming he missed his curfew and his execs got stranded.

-Robert