flight simx IFR controller directions

See if this helps.

https://forum.flyawaysimulation.com/forum/topic/8080/ils-approach-guide-tutorial/

Thanks, for the link, actually that link I knew about before, and made me aware of the ATC ILS vectoring, I sort of understand the ILS bit now.

While I'm at it, again with vectors to ILS, the runway may well be in front of me 70 miles out but ATC again flying to Dublin from LHR).
say turn right 0 ish degrees & then 180 ish degrees, whilst I'm over the Irish sea, zigzagging again, when i know the runway 28 is basically directly in front of me. 😕

I still know its me, but I'm sure i can't be the only one who has thought this.

I suppose what I'm talking about is the bit before i get vectored to ILS. I'm always being told by ATC to change direction, way to much. getting fed up of clicking on ATC window every 30 secs, to accept my new direction, or did i not hear the last transmission. Arrgh

Thinking about it, if i get real tight on the pink waypoint, i guess ATC shut up more.
I'm sure a normal real flight would be something like, take off from LHR turn to waypoint either VOR's high altitude airways or GPS, follow on till your near the next waypoint, ATC may tell you to turn to 2nd 3rd 4th ect waypoint Vor or folloe your flightplan, until ATC vector you for your ILS approach.
I can't see Air Lingus or BA zig zagging all over the skies. How would an airline plan this well worn route!
Anyone know what the standard hops are for this route, for a real Airline.

Input & thoughts most appreciated.

John

If you want to follow the pink line on the GPS, switch the NAV/GPS mode switch to "GPS", and turn on the Autopilot Nav Hold Switch. This will follow the pink line perfectly, and ATC will only contact you for the approach and when handing you off to other controllers.

I put nav/gps switch on gps, and engaged the heading hold button,but would not follow the pink line, it would only follow the heading inputted above the heading hold button.

However, I pressed the VOR/LOC button, and this flew the flightplan correctly 🙂
Is this correct?

All went well until i was told to vector for ILS, I disingaged the vor lock & engaged the heading lock button, & inputted the headings as directed by ATC, all the while stepping down in altitude, it went pear shaped after that, flew miles way to far to get back on approach including a bit of zigzagging. one minute told to fly 325, then a few mins late told to head to 290, then after approx 15 seconds, head back to 325.ffs 🙂

All is not lost though, I'm re-reading the posts for approach bits again, to see where i'm going wrong.

John

In some a/c like the 747, the VOR/LOC switch is also a switch which says NAV on it, but yes the VOL/LOC switch is correct. Don't worry about the zigzagging, it's just atc trying to help you catch the localizer and glideslope with pinpoint accuracy; perfectionists 😀

Tried again yesterday using FSX using 737, ran the same flightplan, LHR to DUB, @ 26000ft.
All worked extremely well, with the GPS & VOR/LOC button, this kept ATC of my Ass, for most of the journey 🙂

Whilst flying this route, I input the altitude's as directed by ATC, I use the altitude hold button for this.
I also maintain speed using the speed input dial. using the armed autothrottle for this.
Eventually I get directed by ATC for vectors to ILS for DUB runway 28. The headings, I input manually & click the HEADING HOLD button, the VOR/LOC button goes out.

I then input the runway course heading 281, using the CRS button.
I input the ILS Freq for runway 28, (108.90), making sure it's selected & nav1 switch is active & lit.
I switch from GPS to NAV on the cockpit front panel.

ATC keep giving me vectors to intercept the ILS & also altitude decreases.
For my own part, I slow the aircraft down by changing the autothrottle speed down, eventually hitting around the ~200k mark, with a bit of flaps, and end up around the 2500ft height. Eventually I start to hear the Morse Code for the ILS 28.
Even doing all of this sometimes I have being vectored past the ILS, and turn the settings as quick as ATC can reel them out 😕

After a bit of manual input to get me to cross the last waypoint in the flightplan, I press the APR button, a couple of times ILS went haywire, but eventually i caught the ILS, sometimes it was to late & could not line me up with the runway.

I'm still a bit unsure when to press the APR button, should i press the APR button when i hear the Morse code, or just when I'm approx 10-15miles out from the runway.

Iknow you have to disable the Autopilot at around ~500ft, & fly manually which I did.
I had Auto-spoilers armed, and auto-braking on position two.
But plane still kept bombing it down the runway, & into the Dublin city centre 😀

I believe that the auto-throttle was still on.
Questions!
How am i doing 🙂
How do you switch off Autopilot & auto throttle together, as things are starting to happen fast at this stage.
When do you press the APR button.
Anyhing I still doing wrong?

Thoughts Appreciated
John

Well, I push the APP/APR button when I hear the morse code as it will automatically turn off the heading and altitude holds as it intercepts the ILS. Sometimes though, it does go haywire for me (like yesterday when flying the Amsterdam to London Airline Run and having the plane turn violently left away from the runway!) but I may just be doing it wrong. I think you should push the button when you are about 10-15 miles away from the runway.

As for the autothrottle, I just quickly disable it manually when about to land. There is a key to arm it but not to disable. But, the autopilot can be disengaged by pushing Z.

I might do a video later of me doing an ILS flight and put it up on Youtube (although there are probably many other videos)

And I want to try that NAV HOLD way of flying. I always get annoyed when flying long haul, having ATC contact me every 5 minutes and then missing their call and getting my IFR cancelled

I push the APR button right after I tune the radios and set the CRS heading and it works perfectly for me.