Autopilot problems

[Jayviator]

Hi, recently I have been downloading new aircraft to my fs2004, mostly older aircraft like the Trident and VC-10, plus planes that used to visit my local airport when i was a kid, yesterday i decided to download the newest plane that visits our airport, a Embraer 195 in FLybe livery.
I decided to do a short test flight using the autopilot and do a ILS approach, i thought i knew how to do this as i have done it many times before on other aircraft but i seem to be having problems with this, im fine using the autopilot, had the correct NAV 1 frequency dialed in (110.750) but when i was on the inbound i clicked app or apr (whatever it is) but when i hit the localiser my plane started going the wrong way and decending, would have ditched in the solent! now this is what i thoght i needed to do, as the runway for landing doesnt have the green localiser beam coming out from that end, so i assumed i had to use back course and that did indeed line me up for the runway BUT my plane just would not decend, i couldnt catch the glideslope, i tried intercepting it at different altitudes but still no joy, so, has anyone any idea what i am doing wrong?
Also the plane seems to be flying quite nose high, is this normal for a Embraer, do i have to alter the pitch before using altitude hold?

[Fozzer]

I have found, in the past, with similar problems with connection to the Glide Slope, that its useful to dial-up 'ATIS' (Automatic Terminal Information Service) long before reaching the airfield, to obtain confirmation of the correct runway to land upon....!

They will give you all the necessary information beforehand!

FS Navigator is handy in this respect. It shows the runways which have the Glide Slope, if any, and the correct frequencies to dial up.

Have you practiced all your Radio Navigation in the Default Trainer Cessna 172 first......!

Paul....G-BPLF.... 8-)...!

http://www.fsnavigator.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_ ... on_Service

[Zaphod]

Hi Jayviator.
I may be wrong but it is my understanding that "Back course" will only ever give you a glide path, and you fly the glide slope manually.

Best.
Zaphod.

[Fozzer]

Hi Jayviator.
I may be wrong but it is my understanding that "Back course" will only ever give you a glide path, and you fly the glide slope manually.

Best.
Zaphod.

I love the way that the Tower gets really, REALLY ANNOYED! when you decide to ignore their instructions, and land on the 'wrong' runway... ...!

..or take-off without clearance... ...!

(That's when 'ATIS' comes in handy!).

Paul....I love my Bendix-King Radio Stack... ...!

[Brett_Henderson]

Have you practiced all your Radio Navigation in the Default Trainer Cessna 172 first......!

8-)

[ashaman]

Normal backcourse landings are glideless, to be used no more no less as a VOR-DME. 8-)


The only time I've found the BC switch on the autopilot to be useful is in presence of those runways with a ILS at both ends with the same frequency (LIRF has one, so has Toronto, and there are others too). IRL it's the tower that keeps active the ILS used on the active while shutting off the beams on the unused landing direction. In FS, the virtual tower could not find their own ass even using both hands, so it's US who have to find a solution to their idiocy. On those runways, if you try to land using the ILS switch, you have 50% of probability the autopilot goes haywire because locks on the wrong beams. In that case, simply click on BC, good landing.

[Brett_Henderson]

Funny story:

A couple years ago, when I took my instrument checkride... I was shooting the ILS (so I thought) into KLCK runway 23.  Sometimes an ILS will read "backwards" when you're just outside of the localiser.. or just on the fringe of its range, so I didn't think too much about it..  But as we neared, it stayed "backwards"... After a quick exchange with the tower, it suddenly jumped to the proper reading (he had the ILS for runway 05 active.. it's simply a matter of throwing a switch)...

You need to make three instrument approaches during your checkride.. The DE gave me credit for two on that one (ILS and back-course)...  All I had to do was a quick NDB at KMRT and I was done  :)