landing 747-400 or any heavy

newboy Guest

HI,

I am having great difficulty in landing. I dont understand the landing procedure. I am confused between GPS and using the NAV.

Yesterday, I was flying from Auckland to Los Angeles. After take off, after about 3000ft, I switched to AP. I used NAV/HDG for a little while and once I was about 30nm away, I switched to GPS. I used GPS all the way to LAX, until 78miles away the ATC said I should use a different heading. At this point I switch back to NAV/HDG and set my HDG to what the ATC said.

After listeing to the ATC asking to descend and maintain altitude until established by the localizer(how it is done??). I mean, if the ATC told me to go towards 280 and land on runway 25L, does that not mean that I am supposed to be going towards 250. SO if I am going towards 280 how is my plane going to establish with the localizer. If I dont use GPS, then my plane misses the approach completely, in fact it is not even going towards the runway. The last heading the ATC gives me does not take me to the runway. But if I quickly switch to GPS and enter the corrent PROC, the plane turns to the correct runway. I thought that you can do this without using the GPS.

Also I have a lot of trouble understanding the 747 PFD. There are 4 different needles. Which am I to look at when landing.

I am good at taking off(I know its easy), but I need to learn how to land.

I want to know I am doing wrong.

Answers 16 Answers

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Pro Member First Officer
sylvan First Officer

See if this link helps you

http://www.navfltsm.addr.com/index.htm

Pro Member Chief Captain
Alex (Fire_Emblem_Master) Chief Captain

You can do this without the GPS, it's called the ILS, here's a guide i made to help you figure it out.

THIS IS FOR IFR FLIGHT!

1. When ATC says something liek "WifeBeater 767, you are 32 Miles away. Turn right heading 105, descend and mantain 2,500 feet, cleared ILS runway 36R Approach". You have to click on your MAP icon in your cockipt. Then, move your mouse over the destination airport. Mind you, the airport MUST have the ILS feathers (thes are the green things that point to the runway). Double click on the airport. A list will show up. Scroll down the list untill you see a chart that shows Runway numbers. FInd 36R, or whatever your runway is. You look to the right and see a radio frequency. We'll use 100.100 because its easy to remember. Don't forget the frequency.

2. Open up your Radio Stack, and enter in 100.100 in the NAV1 Radio, usually the righmost radio number is the one that can be messed with. After you enter it 100.100, using the mouse wheel or clickin it. Press the button that looks like thsi somewhat, its in the middle of the 2 radio displays <-----> That changes the NAV1 Radio frequency from whatever it was, to what it is now (100.100)

3.Turn on the NAV1 Radio by clicking the switch at the bottom of the radio stack, unless its already on, like with the LearJet.

4. If you have Autopilot, and you are using GPS to follow waypoints, switch the NAV/GPS button back to NAV!!!! YOU CANT FORGET TO DO THAT!!! YOU'LL BURN AND DIE IF YOU DONT!!

5. Follow ATC directions to approach. Now, when you approach the Runway, you will see the pink arrows near your attitude indicator move...usually Heading first, then Altitude. Simply fly in the directon and atitude of the pink arrows intull they center themselves, that means you're on the glideslope!

6. If you wanna use the autopilot to fly the approach, simply follow steps 1-4, then click the APPR button on the autopilot panel.

Pro Member Chief Captain
Matthew Shope (mypilot) Chief Captain
Newboy Guest

Thank you. I will try that.

Guest FEM Guest

What's the theme here mypilot? Can't get enough of a good thing?😛

newboy Guest

Hi Fire_Emblem,

I tried what you said. Which is ok. But one thing I need to understand.

For example, I am flying to LAX and runway 25L is 109.90 and the HGD is 249.

But the ATC doesnt say anything about turning towards 249. It tells me to continue on 280 until established on the localilzer. How am i going to establish on the localizer when I am not even going that way????

Thanks

Pro Member Chief Captain
Alex (Fire_Emblem_Master) Chief Captain

Look at this diagram

newboy Guest

Cool diagram, Fire Emblem.

I had a few goes at landing. I was experimenting exactly what you have drawn. I understand it now. This is what I did.

The ATC told me to contiune on 280 until established on the localizer. I switched on my NAV and made sure the freqs were input correctly in the radio. The beauty i found was that because the AP was switched on, the plane started turning automatically towards the runway. So that means that the AP picked up on the localizer and started moving towards the frequency i had put in the radio.

all i did was switch the speed to manual and later switched of the AP and flew straight in myself.

You guys are nothing else than geniuses. I have been flying this FS9 for more than a year now and it has taken me this long to understand. I can taxi, take off etc but i could never land properly.

now for some more practice and i should be ok. I like to fly nights becuase it is more harder to see. If i can do it in the night, day should be a walk in the park.

just before i go, when the ATC says maintain 3200 until establised on the localizer. Does that mean that once you are established you can set the ALT to 0000, so that the AP will bring it down on its own? When do you really start decending???

thanks for help a stupid guy like me.

Pro Member Chief Captain
Alex (Fire_Emblem_Master) Chief Captain

I would say wait untill they give you clearance to land before descending. Listen, you're not stupid, You actually TRIED before you came here asking for help...Stupid is when someone comes with a list of like 50 things they're asking, when it's OBVIOUS they have no idea how to fly the 747, and they wonder, how fast you go to take off, how fast you are to land, all a bunch of stuff they can look up and find in the Learning Center!!!!!

Glad we can help. Keep me posted on your progress man!

Newboy Guest

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

Maybe one day, I will make Fraps video for you guys. Until then I need to save up to get a sencond monitor. And practice hard.

Cheers.

Guest

😀

Thanks very much for the informtation Fire. It ws just what I was looking for.

Steven

Pro Member Chief Captain
Alex (Fire_Emblem_Master) Chief Captain

Hey, no problem. Keep me posted on how you're doing! Take some screen shots or grab a fraps video!

Pro Member Trainee
nicam Trainee

just one thing, you don't need to change the alt to 0000 just hit the app button and the AP will guide you down. But I personally like to bring it down myself

Pro Member First Officer
Martin (Blake14) First Officer

I guess you beat me to that reply. But I have been trying these automatic approaches but they don't work that well. I guess the good old way of flying is better.

Pro Member Trainee
nicam Trainee

Yeah I found that some ILS landing on AP put right on target, but in other areas ( airports) it way off and I have to take over

Pro Member First Officer
PH First Officer

Once you have selected APP and the ac is settled on the GS put the published GA alt into the altitude window. If you therefore need to go around it is just a case of hitting alt once GA is initiated.

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