B717 FO NOTICED THAT THE CAPT WAS REMINDED TO LOWER THE LNDG GEAR WHEN THE LNDG GEAR WARNING SOUNDED WHILE PASSING THROUGH 1200 FT. HE BELIEVED THAT THIS ITEM SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE SOONER; AND WOULD HAVE BEEN IF THE ACFT WAS NOT FLOWN BY THE FMS.

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CLRED FOR THE VOR/DME RWY 35 APCH TO LIHUE. THIS APCH IS OVER OPEN WATER. PERFECT WX DURING EARLY DUSK; WITH UNLIMITED VISIBILITY AND LIGHT WINDS. WE RECEIVED VISUAL APCH CLRNC DURING OUR PROFILE DSCNT TO 1200 FT MSL; THE FAF ALT; BUT STAYED ON THE APCH COURSE. ONCE INSIDE THE FAF; THE CAPT SELECTED 1000 FT ON THE FLT CTL PANEL AND 'FMS SPD.' THIS WOULD HAVE US LEVEL OFF AT THE SELECTED ALT AND DECELERATE FOR CONFIGN. THE CAPT IS VERY EXPERIENCED ON THIS RTE. LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF CYCLES ON THIS CITY PAIR; AND THIS WAS OUR FIRST TIME WORKING TOGETHER; SO MY THINKING AT THIS POINT WAS TO WATCH AND LEARN YET ANOTHER TECHNIQUE FOR USING HIGH TECHNOLOGY ON A SHORT FLT (20 MINS). PASSING THROUGH 1200 FT; THE AURAL 'LNDG GEAR' WARNING SOUNDED. CAPT CALLED FOR THE GEAR TO BE EXTENDED; AND THE REST OF THE APCH AND LNDG PROCEEDED NORMALLY. NOT SO MUCH A CASE OF THE WARNING REMINDING US TO PUT THE GEAR DOWN AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE INTXN OF DELAYING CONFIGN TO INCREASE PAX COMFORT; AND THE AIRPLANE SAYING 'OK; IT'S TIME TO CONFIGURE NOW....' THE APCH BRIEF WE USE IS GEARED TOWARDS FULL INST APCHS; WHERE THE CONFIGN SEQUENCE IS PREDETERMINED. DURING A VISUAL APCH; HOWEVER; CONFIGN TECHNIQUES VARY WIDELY. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL INCLUDE MY PLANNED CONFIGN AND SPD PROFILE IN MY VISUAL APCH BRIEFS AND WILL SUGGEST THAT THIS BECOME SOP.