by Billerator » Thu Jun 24, 2004 5:54 pm
Yeah sadly MS didnt include this.
To use the approach feature:
1. You will need the runway heading and the frequency of the ILS glideslope you will be using ( this can be found by using the Map window and clicking on the airport you want to land at, all the info you need is there).
2. Enter the runway heading into the NAV heading selector on the autopilot panel.
3. Next enter the frequency of the glideslope into your NAV1 radio ( on the radio stack ) and activate it.
You should hear some morse-code which identifies this frequency. It will only become active about 10 miles or so from the runway.
4. Make sure that the NAV/GPS switch is set to NAV.
5.
IFR - If you are flying IFR then ATC will guide you to the ILS glideslope ( the green cone on your GPS screen ).
ATC will normally guide you at an angle to the runway and will tell you to intercept the localiser.
If you look at your main display with your Artificial Horizon, you will see 2 pink criss-crossing lines.
These show you where the center of the ILS glideslope is. When you first turn the radio on, these will probably be to the side of the display.
The localiser is the horisontal part of the ILS beam, so the center of the localiser is shown by the vertical pink line. When you see this line move from the side of the display, you have captured the localiser.
Now guide the plane into the center of the localiser untill the horizontal pink line drops down to the center of the Artificial Horizon. Just before it reaches the center, press the APR or approach button.
The plane now should manouver to align itself with the runway and will begin to descend.
VFR - If you are flying VFR you will want to be at about 2000-2500ft above ground when you get to the ILS glideslope ( green cone ). And just like if you were flying IFR, guide the plane using the GPS and the pink lines on your display. Then again when the horizontal line is nearly at the center, press the APR button.
The golden rule is, always capture the ILS beam from below, otherwise the plane will have great difficulty to fly down to the runway and will miss it.
6. With your landing gear down and flaps set, monitor what the plane is doing and control your throttle.
( a B737 lands at about 85-95 knots, so try to stay near that ). Now if the winds are within 15 knots and you dont fly too fast, the autopilot should get you dead-on with the runway.
7. Just after you pass the start of the runway, you should press APR again to disengage the autopilot and hand fly it down.
8. Flare accordingly ( for a smooth landing ) and as soon as the wheels touch-down, deploy the spoiler ( shift+/ ) and apply reverse thrust ( hold F2 ).
Try not to slam the nose-whell down either.
Now that is about it.
Feel free to ask if you still dont understand something, its pretty complicated.
You can also try the lessons, there is one about ILS landings.
) when encountering strong gusts. Not really a problem though...
