little help with my final apparoach

[Liam]

Hey, I'm trying to perfect my landing in the 737, I've pretty much got used to setting Auto pilot for the ILS etc.

Thing is I never know what height i should be on my final approach, how to i determine what my height should be when im about 1nm away, then what height when i'm over the beginning of the runway.

Thanks in advance for your help, much appreciated.

[Craig.]

if you do an IFR flight the tower ill give you all the info you need to know

[Liam]

So is that just an option from the ATC menu then? And then they'll keep updating me on my altitude?

Thanks.

Ps. I've singed up now.

[zcottovision]

Yes.

Flying IFR, the ATC will give you commands to follow from about 60 miles away. They'll tell you what to descend to, what heading to turn to, etc. They don't tell you to speed up or slow down, but do remember that maximum speed limit below 10,000ft is 250kts.

They'll set you up so all you have to do is hit the approach button, really!

[Craig.]

welcome to simv by the way.
all they will do is give you a clearance as your coming upto the airport, something like," united111 turn left heading 090 decend and maintain 2000 feet clear for ils approach runway 5 maintain 2000 feet till established on the localiser" then if you have it all set up in you radios and  on the control panel it'll fly it down the glideslope for you, or if you like to fly it yourself just follow the dials:)
i will let others go into further details for ya

[Liam]

Oh sounds very easy indeed, i've been lining up using the heading button but finding the directions manually(Turning to apporx. line up by using 90' turns then lining up perfectly using the runway heading)...if the ATC tell me it will make it even easier though...thanks.

[Liam]

Sorry to double post but i have another question along the same lines..

Is it possible to use auto-pilot right until touch down or right until you have to flair? Or should it be turned off like 1nm before?

Also, do real pilots get directed with heading & altitude right down to the runway by ATC aswell?

[Craig.]

you can indeed use it to flare height, there are some tutorials on it on simv
i am sure someone will be able to tell you where they are located

[zcottovision]

The pilots will get guided to the localizer by ATC, as y2cragie pointed out, and then they shut up. When the ILS indicator does it's thing and moves towards the longer ILS indicator, the pilots just hit the approach button. This - along with the glideslope - will guide the aircraft down to the runway by itself.

The glideslope is a little indicator to the right of the ILS indicator. It's usually a pink diamond. When it's right in the middle of the (5, i think) markers that it moves up and down on, that means you're at the right height. Just keep that marker on the middle point and you'll be grand. If the marker is too high, you're too low, but don't fly upwards to catch - fly straight and let it come to you. But if it's too low, you're too high, and you should head down a bit quicker....!

That should help you get the plane down to the runway every time! I'd advise a bit of practice using the glideslope, though, it's always a good idea to know how to fly these things manually, just in case!

[zcottovision]

Or you can download the useful tutorial which has a fair amount of detail from http://www.simviation.com/files/1misc/ILSTUTORIAL.zip !

[Liam]

Yeh ive download that thing and read through..thanks.

http://www.simviation.com/pageimages/Navtute15.jpg

So them pink triangle things...there what i need to line up with to be perfect down onto the runway?

[zcottovision]

Yes, that's right. In that picture, you can tell that the aircraft is slightly below the glideslope (due to the vertical pink indicator being slightly above the middle marker, the rectangle); and also slightly to the right( due to the long pink indicator being slightly misaligned with the course indicator.

If you keep those centered (or as close to centered as you can), you'll be all lined up right down the middle of the runway for the flare and touchdown.

[Liam]

Is it possible to make it do it on its own?

[zcottovision]

Yes, that's what the Approach (APR) button is for. Whenever the ATC clear you for the localizer ("United 122, turn right heading 210, descend and maintain 2100, cleared for the ILS runway 25, maintain 2100 until established on the localizer" or something like that), you watch that long pink needle indicator like a hawk. And when it moves inwards, hit the APR button. This will turn the plane and make adjustments to the height and direction of the aircraft to bring it right down to the runway centreline. You just have to control the speed.

It's a good idea to disengage the autopilot just before the runway and flare it yourself, and cut the throttles altogether, though. Still - ILS is pretty damned useful!

[Liam]

Just one last question when i press the approach button...what other buttons should be on, like alt, y/d, hgd/nav etc?