Narrative:

Here are some operational/safety observations to share with norcal tracon.1. When descending into sfo from the east on the dyamd arrival; the first norcal controller usually gives us the stockton or modesto altimeter setting. In the summer this altimeter from the central valley can differ by 200 feet or more from the sfo altimeter. That's a set-up for an altitude bust if you use this setting and then don't reset it to the sfo setting just a few minutes later. We're landing sfo and we're only 60-70 miles from sfo upon first contact with norcal; so please just give us the sfo altimeter setting in the first place. I wrote a report on this issue probably 10 years ago. It stopped for a while; but it started up again a couple years ago.2. The handoff to the final controller seems to occur about a mile prior to archi. This is too late. If the final controller is busy and you can't check on frequency and have to level at 8000 feet at archi; you're instantly high on the profile. Then when the final controller gives you approach clearance and tells you to reduce your speed by 50 knots; you're *really* high on the profile. This could be avoided if the handoff occurred a few miles earlier. We need to have approach clearance prior to reaching archi in order to stay on the vertical profile.3. When doing parallel visuals to the 28s; the final controller wants each plane to call the other in sight and tells each plane to maintain visual separation with the other. This may work during the initial merge; but very soon after the merge you're staggered on final so one plane is in front of the other. At this point it's physically impossible for the leading plane to maintain visual separation from the trailing plane. What do they expect from us in this situation? Technically we're supposed to notify the controller if we lose visual contact with the trailing plane; but they obviously know we can't see it because it's behind us. When I've tried notifying the controller; my transmission is usually disregarded or else met with mild annoyance. This entire situation would work better if the controller stated from the beginning which plane was going to be the trailing plane and then only asked that plane to maintain visual separation.4. The 737-900 usually can't fly 160 knots without using flaps 15; and it can't use flaps 15 without lowering the landing gear. So when the controller gets jammed up on final and reduces our speed to 160 knots when we're still 25+ miles from the airport; we have to fly the rest of the way with the gear down. That's obviously not ideal for a number of reasons. In my experience sfo often runs their final approach at 160 knots when they're configured for a single runway ILS. Please keep the limitations of the 737s in mind and consider using 170 knots as a minimum assigned speed on final. An extra delay vector at altitude is a much better solution than a final approach flown at 160 knots.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 Next Generation Captain suggested changes to NORCAL's arrival procedures into SFO from the east on the DYAMD Arrival.

Narrative: Here are some operational/safety observations to share with Norcal Tracon.1. When descending into SFO from the east on the DYAMD arrival; the first Norcal controller usually gives us the Stockton or Modesto altimeter setting. In the summer this altimeter from the Central Valley can differ by 200 feet or more from the SFO altimeter. That's a set-up for an altitude bust if you use this setting and then don't reset it to the SFO setting just a few minutes later. We're landing SFO and we're only 60-70 miles from SFO upon first contact with Norcal; so please just give us the SFO altimeter setting in the first place. I wrote a report on this issue probably 10 years ago. It stopped for a while; but it started up again a couple years ago.2. The handoff to the final controller seems to occur about a mile prior to ARCHI. This is too late. If the final controller is busy and you can't check on frequency and have to level at 8000 feet at ARCHI; you're instantly high on the profile. Then when the final controller gives you approach clearance and tells you to reduce your speed by 50 knots; you're *really* high on the profile. This could be avoided if the handoff occurred a few miles earlier. We need to have approach clearance prior to reaching ARCHI in order to stay on the vertical profile.3. When doing parallel visuals to the 28s; the final controller wants each plane to call the other in sight and tells each plane to maintain visual separation with the other. This may work during the initial merge; but very soon after the merge you're staggered on final so one plane is in front of the other. At this point it's physically impossible for the leading plane to maintain visual separation from the trailing plane. What do they expect from us in this situation? Technically we're supposed to notify the controller if we lose visual contact with the trailing plane; but they obviously know we can't see it because it's behind us. When I've tried notifying the controller; my transmission is usually disregarded or else met with mild annoyance. This entire situation would work better if the controller stated from the beginning which plane was going to be the trailing plane and then only asked that plane to maintain visual separation.4. The 737-900 usually can't fly 160 knots without using flaps 15; and it can't use flaps 15 without lowering the landing gear. So when the controller gets jammed up on final and reduces our speed to 160 knots when we're still 25+ miles from the airport; we have to fly the rest of the way with the gear down. That's obviously not ideal for a number of reasons. In my experience SFO often runs their final approach at 160 knots when they're configured for a single runway ILS. Please keep the limitations of the 737s in mind and consider using 170 knots as a minimum assigned speed on final. An extra delay vector at altitude is a much better solution than a final approach flown at 160 knots.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.