approach button question

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 🙄 !