Landing and Taxiing Help

[tcco94]

Okay well first of all I know how to land using ILS. Ive done it before once and ive completed about 7 flights from when I first learned it and got it down but now everytime I seem to do the same thing as I did the first time and it always comes up short of the runway or to the side and such. I think a problem im having is im changing to the APP switch to late becuase by the time I activate it the airplane seems to not have enough time. Can anyone help me out? When should I activate the APP switch? :-?

My landings also never seem to be so perfect. I try to raise the nose when I land just a little bit but the airplane just always goes up just for raising it a little. Ive seen videos of people like go down with there nose up and how do you do that?

[Meck]

Okay well first of all I know how to land using ILS. Ive done it before once and ive completed about 7 flights from when I first learned it and got it down but now everytime I seem to do the same thing as I did the first time and it always comes up short of the runway or to the side and such. I think a problem im having is im changing to the APP switch to late becuase by the time I activate it the airplane seems to not have enough time. Can anyone help me out? When should I activate the APP switch? :-?

I think it's exactly that solution: activate the APP earlier. You can switch the APP on relativly far from the airport (~30mls; at least in FSX) as long as you have the correct frequ. set to Nav

[quote]My landings also never seem to be so perfect. I try to raise the nose when I land just a little bit but the airplane just always goes up just for raising it a little. Ive seen videos of people like go down with there nose up and how do you do that?

[tcco94]

[quote]

My landings also never seem to be so perfect. I try to raise the nose when I land just a little bit but the airplane just always goes up just for raising it a little. Ive seen videos of people like go down with there nose up and how do you do that?

[Meck]

Well im starting to come in on my landings about 140-160 knots
Another question is when you activate he APP switch for your ILS do you have to keep autopilot on...

of course! otherwise you'll have to fly 'alone'; leave the main AP switch on, heading, alt etc. too (as indicated by ATC, or by yourself if you line up with the runway manually); the APP funktion will switch HDG and ALT off automatically when crossing the ILS...

Well is there anything already in the cockpit that will help me now without an add on?

no. But it's a simple gauge (e.g. comes with the Dash-8 package, you could have a look at it by downloading and installing this [here at simV])

happy landings    :)

[tcco94]

Okay ill look into that but how do you keep the APP switch on and try and descend at the same time? Landing like this picture...

http://i.pbase.com/g3/89/600489/2/55589747.61.jpg

[Meck]

Sorry, but I can't watch the picture... (Forbidden... No access...?!)

The APP has no function on the AP until you reach the ILS-signal, so switch it on and line up/descend towards the runway, when the light of the HDG and/or the ALT switches are off, the ILS has taken over that 'koordination' for you... And remeber: ILS is not auto-land, switch off APP about 100ft. above the runway...

[tcco94]

Sorry, but I can't watch the picture... (Forbidden... No access...?!)

The APP has no function on the AP until you reach the ILS-signal, so switch it on and line up/descend towards the runway, when the light of the HDG and/or the ALT switches are off, the ILS has taken over that 'koordination' for you... And remeber: ILS is not auto-land, switch off APP about 100ft. above the runway...

Okay well thanks ive got the ils down I usually activate it about 20 or 30 miles out but my only problem now is everytime im going like 160 to 170 knots and everytime when i raise the nose just even a tiny pit it will still not go down to the runway...
Ive tried and everytime it never works... I dont see how people do it on there video's and such, how do you do it?

[Meck]

Okay well thanks ive got the ils down I usually activate it about 20 or 30 miles out but my only problem now is everytime im going like 160 to 170 knots and everytime when i raise the nose just even a tiny pit it will still not go down to the runway...
Ive tried and everytime it never works... I dont see how people do it on there video's and such, how do you do it?

ok, first of all: what plane do you use? Because landing a Cessna at 160k... You know yourself.
Have a look at the references that come with the plane and find out what landingspeed is recomended for the model...

[tcco94]

Okay well thanks ive got the ils down I usually activate it about 20 or 30 miles out but my only problem now is everytime im going like 160 to 170 knots and everytime when i raise the nose just even a tiny pit it will still not go down to the runway...
Ive tried and everytime it never works... I dont see how people do it on there video's and such, how do you do it?

ok, first of all: what plane do you use? Because landing a Cessna at 160k... You know yourself.
Have a look at the references that come with the plane and find out what landingspeed is recomended for the model...

Alright, is that where the check mark in your cockpit with like the gps and stuff?
I think i might know what i need to do is when i get about 10 miles away from the runway ill desengage the speed holder and then put the thottle to idle when i land about 100 feet above the runway  ;)

Here was the picture...

How do you do this without disengaging the autopilot..
My only solution is to make the altitude holder go down every minute so i can see the runway like this. How do you do it? :-?

[Meck]

Speed-hold must be shut off manually! Else the AP will try to accelerate after touchdown...
Do you mean that you can't see the runway on final? I have this problem, too, and still haven't found a good solution (I fly VC on final AP on speedhold off and try to make it on the runway, short before touchdown press 'z' for the AP).

[tcco94]

Speed-hold must be shut off manually! Else the AP will try to accelerate after touchdown...
Do you mean that you can't see the runway on final? I have this problem, too, and still haven't found a good solution (I fly VC on final AP on speedhold off and try to make it on the runway, short before touchdown press 'z' for the AP).

Okay you shut it off manually the same way you turn it on by just disengaging it right? :-? I was thinking about disengaging it about 10 miles out just for the safety of it.
And okay AP sounds like autopilot? What is it?

Also another question when you use your brakes on landing do you use your normal breaks or other breaks? Becuase i use the the regular brakes but when i fly in real airplanes it looks sortof like this...


Thanks

[DaveSims]

AP is autopilot.  Those things you see on the wing are the spoilers, they are used to decrease the lift the wings are making and increase drag.  They are used on landing with the reverse thrust to slow you down.  

On landing for speed control you should maintain the approach speed for the aircraft you are in until just before crossing the end of the runway.  Then power to idle and slowly raise the nose.  Pretend you are trying to keep the aircraft from landing.  The point is to touch down at a slower speed to make it easier on your landing gear.  

At this point it may be useful to review some of the flight tutorials and learn to fly the smaller airplanes before moving up into the big airliners.  It will give you a better understanding of what you are doing and make the transition to the big aircraft easier.

[Brett_Henderson]

I'll jump in here...

If you're on short final, with full flaps, and not too heavy on fuel, at 160kias, descending

[Brett_Henderson]

Davysims posted while I was typing... He gives sound advice  ;)

He hit on THE most important point:

Pretend you are trying to keep the aircraft from landing

You don't want the wheels down until you have no say in the matter. In other words... the flare is timed to hold the airplane just off the ground until gravity wins and it HAS to settle to the runway.

[DaveSims]

[quote]Davysims posted while I was typing... He gives sound advice