by Nav » Tue Mar 08, 2005 6:07 pm
I think that, at first, it's easy to give too much priority to 'lining up'. It doesn't actually matter whether you are perfectly lined up with the runway or not, until you are about 1 mile out.
Speed, configuration, attitude, rate of descent, and above all fore-and-aft trim, are much more important aspects of the approach. The bonus is that, if you have all those right, and the aeroplane is perfectly balanced, it is quite easy to apply just a touch of bank to bring her into line as you get close in.
Two recommendations:-
1. Until you've had lots of practice, use banking only for your final lineup, don't mess with the rudder (there IS a technique called 'crossing the controls' for landing in heavy crosswinds, which involves using the rudder, but you can safely leave that till later!).
2. Assuming that you're flying a big jet, save an ILS approach say 15 miles out, then fly it on full auto a few times, and watch the key instruments - engine power (N1), rate of descent, ASI, Attitude Indicator, ILS display, etc.. Turn on 'Aircraft', 'Visual Flight Path', 'Rectangles', if you like. Note how smooth and unhurried 'George's' approach is - how the aeroplane goes down level, not diving, with the runway staying in the same place in the windscreen - and above all how much TIME you have.
Then turn off the autothrottle and fly a few landings with the A/P still handling the line and you handling the power, pitch, and speed. When you have that taped, switch the whole A/P off and start practising full manual.
