A flight evaluation of curved landing approaches

The development of STOL technology for application to operational short-haul aircraft is accompanied by the requirement for solving problems in many areas. One of the most obvious problems is STOL aircraft operations in the terminal area. The increased number of terminal operations needed for an economically viable STOL system as compared with the current CTOL system and the incompatibility of STOL and CTOL aircraft speeds are positive indicators of an imminent problem. The high cost of aircraft operations, noise pollution, and poor short-haul service are areas that need improvement. A potential solution to some of the operational problems lies in the capability of making curved landing approaches under both visual and instrument flight conditions.