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I just read Neil Singer's Critical Six Feet article from AOPA Nov 2022 Issue (I have a two foot stack of aviation magazines to catch up on), about a Baro-VNAV approach that was flown 280 ft lower than the crew believed (wrong altimeter setting and the GP is computed based on the altimeter for that approach). The issue could have been detected earlier if the crew paid attention to the RA readout and cross checked.

The Phenom 300 is the first plane I have flown that has a Radio Altimeter. I don't have any good RA habits and it is typically not even part of my scan - I need to make an effort to include it. What are some good habits you have incorporated with the Radar Altimeter?

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I just read Neil Singer's Critical Six Feet article from AOPA Nov 2022 Issue (I have a two foot stack of aviation magazines to catch up on), about a Baro-VNAV approach that was flown 280 ft lower than the crew believed (wrong altimeter setting and the GP is computed based on the altimeter for that approach). The issue could have been detected earlier if the crew paid attention to the RA readout and cross checked.

The Phenom 300 is the first plane I have flown that has a Radio Altimeter. I don't have any good RA habits and it is typically not even part of my scan - I need to make an effort to include it. What are some good habits you have incorporated with the Radar Altimeter?

I have never had the opportunity to fly the P300, although I would love to. In fact, I am looking to be able to lease one for training….Any leads are welcome!!
In the ERJ-175, the radio altimeter was programmed to call out 500 ft, 50ft, and down to 10ft in intervals of 10ft. It was pretty easy and simple to cross check the 500ft callout mentally without even looking anywhere other than the scan one already had.
I do not know if the P300 has call outs?

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I do not know if the P300 has call outs?

It does have the 500 ft call out. Also with NXi you can optionally setup 200, 100, 40, 30, 20, 10 ft call-outs (not sure on G3000).

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It does have the 500 ft call out. Also with NXi you can optionally setup 200, 100, 40, 30, 20, 10 ft call-outs (not sure on G3000).

I have regular G1000 with radio altimeter. Mine counts down 500/400/300/200/100

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I double checked when I went out to the plane today - NXi call outs has 500/400/300/200/100 and adds 40/30/20/10. Still need to figure out a habit to add at least the 500 callout to my approach cross check.

Attachment 6461

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I guess this is obvious, but keep in mind of course that the RA is just telling you the distance to the ground below the plane. Not so useful at KSEZ or KTEX, for example. So if there is sloping terrain on final approach, the higher level callouts may or may not tell you anyting about where your plane is relative to the TDZ. Great to incorporate RA into overall situatoinal awareness, but like all tools it needs to be used with experience and due care.

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I guess this is obvious, but keep in mind of course that the RA is just telling you the distance to the ground below the plane. Not so useful at KSEZ or KTEX, for example. So if there is sloping terrain on final approach, the higher level callouts may or may not tell you anyting about where your plane is relative to the TDZ. Great to incorporate RA into overall situatoinal awareness, but like all tools it needs to be used with experience and due care.

Good reminder and absolutely true.
It has utility on approach, especially below 500, of course keeping in mid the caveats.
it’s also a good terrain awareness tool into unfamiliar airports that especially do not have vertical navigation approaches into them.
so, it’s another tool in the armamentarium, available to the pilot/crew if limitations are respected.