Understanding the different sciences:
Chemistry = smells bad
Biology = tastes bad
Physics= experiment didn't work right

 

They should provide wake separation in IMC. In my experience visuals are where you need to fly high.

 

Right, at 200' where the vortices didn't have the vertical distance to descend. That's where you're going to have your problem, not on 10 mile final.

And it doesn't take a heavy to roll your airliner up. I got rolled in a DC-9 by the wake of an H-53. Your 737 could easily roll an RJ.

 

You're right, theoretically if all aircraft are on the electronic G/S, and there's proper spacing, the vortices will sink out of the following aircraft's way. Theoretically only a significant tailwind should create cause for concern.

That's theory. Then there's the reality of one's own experience, which I suppose affects how we all fly. A few years back I had a rather unforgettable first-hand experience in which I was rolled fully inverted at 1000' AGL on final behind an A300. Fortunately I'd had upset training, so I'm here to talk about it. Unloaded the wing with a very firm push and kept 'er rolling all the way around -- the roll was too abrupt to follow the natural instinct, which is of course to stop the roll and reverse it.

The spacing on final was fine, but it happened anyways. And I've hit enough vortices at 100' AGL while following a heavy that I'm acutely aware of the danger they present. Haven't we all?

So, yeah, maybe I'm a bit paranoid. But this morning, I could actually see the darn vortices coming off the preceding traffic, as they created rather beautiful patterns in the cloud tops. I'm guessing the preceding aircraft was right on G/S, but all I knew was, I wasn't going to fly through those swirling mists. Once in IMC, I couldn't very well avoid the vortices visually anymore.

Anyhow, what I shouldhave done was kept the A/P engaged and used V/S mode to control the descent rate (instead of coupling to the G/S for descent.). That would have kept us slightly above the G/S while taking care of the lateral track automatically.

You are, of course, absolutely correct that if we all flew the G/S a dot high, we'd create wake issues for other aircraft behind us. That's a very good point.

 

Well I don't have the FDR to prove it to myself, but the speed was always in the bug below 1000' AGL (although the trend vector got way too large for my taste at times), and we were never more than a dot off laterally or vertically. But it was just one of those approaches where I was working way too hard for no reason. It just felt like lousy airmanship. Don't you ever have days like that?

 

"Probably"?

You just shot down your entire argument. A better statement for yourself would have been, "I would assume the Super is flying a coupled approach"

 

No, I only fly tier 1 approaches 🙄

 

A transport category aircraft you were flying rolled fully inverted behind an A300 at 1,000 AGL?

 

^^^^^I call bullsh!t on this too. And upset recovery is to roll in the shortest direction to wings level!

 

If you are 1/8 through an 8 point roll just bring it around and don't be scared. You sound like a weak pilot.