approach button question
Ok, I've read the sticky in this forum about approaches but I'm still a bit confused.
From what I understand, once you set your nav1 to the ILS frequency and you hear the morse code, you can push the approach button and it flies the approach. This always seems very hit and miss for me. Sometimes in puts me straight down the centre line of the runway, sometimes off in a field, so I'm obviously doing something wrong. I end up pushing buttons franticly until it seems to centre....but then I don't know what fixed it!!!!
With the approach button pressed, should any other systems be operating, ie, AP, AT? If the AP is on, what systems should be active, ie., hedg, att,vert sp?
Do I need to control the ROD?
Should the GPS be flying the plane or should it be switched back to nav.
My approaches are usually pretty straight in, I set the waypoints to give my at least 20 miles to fly straight before the runway. This means that even though I'm obviously not setting my approach correctly, I'm flying in straight enough that I can't really tell untill it's too late, I end up turning everything off and flying hands on.
I know this probably sounds stupid for those of you that have been doing this for years, but it's just really annoying me.
I'm doing what it says in the sticky but I must be misunderstanding something or just getting it wrong.
Please help.
PS. I'm flying Boeings and Airbuses.
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Congrats, You are my first post..... 😉
Be sure and have your course set to the appropriate runway heading,
For example if you are intercepting the localizer for PDX runway 28R you would want your course heading set at 281.
Switch over to your approach selector once you have began to intercept the localizer. The aircraft will switch from its NAV heading to the approach heading and will begin to follow the glide slope.
All of this is done with the auto pilot fully engaged.
ATC will vector you in to intercept. ie the appropriate altitude and heading.
If you are not utilizing ATC be sure and follow the appropriate ILS approach plate for the airport and runway you are attempting.
Remember that the auto approach turns and descends the aircraft at a standard rate. If you try to intercept the localizer at 90deg, 5000ft AGL
and only 5 miles out you will end up missing the glide path all together.
BTW I am not much of an auto pilot junkie.
I prefer the manual IFR approaches in the small prop jobs.
I started flying C172's and got my private certificate 18 years ago.
I made it up through most of my instrument rating but not quite to the check ride. $$$ and kids changed my flying aspirations.
Thank God for MS flight sim to keep me some what satisfied.
So if I missed anything...my apologies.
Hope this helps
Enjoy
Thanks & welcome.
I've never once set the course when attempting an approach, so that obviously explains it 
.
I've often wondered what the course selector did 😂 .
Ok, Just had my lunch break. My default lunchtime flight is Manston to Gatwick in a BA Airbus 319.
I wrote down all my info, ils frequency, runway heading and had a print out of the approach guide. @0 miles out, all is going well.15 miles and I hit the approach button..... the windsreen turns all blue, not good. I grabed it back before it stalled, then turned the gps OFF, lol.
Everything remains as it should, flying in nicely, 2 reds and 2 whites, I'm looking straight down the dotted line.
Then I crashed into the runway.
Moral of the story?
Even when you do the approach perfectly, it helps to have your gear down.
Another lunchtime with 200 souls dead.
don't you hate it when you're doing something very well, and then one little oversight screws everything up 😂
On a more serious note, I take it you noticed at some point on final your N1 setting was much lower and your speed much higher then normal...
Follow your instincts, if you get the feeling something is off, it usually is 🙂
ARD-DC wrote:
I take it you noticed at some point on final your N1 setting was much lower and your speed much higher then normal...)
My N1 setting???? 😕 I should know what that is, yeah?
ARD-DC wrote:
Follow your instincts, if you get the feeling something is off, it usually is 🙂
I thought it was the pickle on my sandwich 😳.
Airline food 🙄 !
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