Question about approach hold

Well, i recently found out the the Fs2004 GPS had Stars [Standard Instrument departures].Well atleat I think it has stars and possibly sids. So it will take you all the way to the airport and directlly down the glideslope. Unfortunatley this may sound like good news but I still haven't worked out how to use the function properly yet. If I work it out I 'll make a video and send the post in on Flyaway.

I have now made two ILS AUTOPIOT approaches. I will do the best that I can to describe the approach to you. I go from KORF (Norfolk VA) to KIAD (Dulles Va) in a 737-400. Lets say ATC clears me to approach 19L. My approach is set at 110.100. Instead of being set on GPS for the approach I am not set on NAV let the A/P pickup the approach beacon. I should say instead of ENRT should read FINAL then APR at this point in time you have desended to about 1700 feet and you should now be deploying your landing gear and flaps make sure that you are not above the approach speed for flaps. This aircraft requires flaps 30. No more than 147 KIAS @ 136.000 lbs, and or 144 KIAS @ 132,000 lbs. Your aircraft will probably be making adjustments to catch the beacon. I am manually manouvering the throttles at this point because A/T reduces the speed too much. I have landed short too many times and what I found to work is throttles. Just before going over the threshold cut power and glide in. If you are in windy conditions this is very tricky but it can be done. Remember if you download real weather and your close enough to get the weather within 15 min, if there is wind you will get this too. I haven't had a shear yet but I will be ready with the throttles and gear.
I hope this wasn't to confusing. It is condensed from a flight that I just had about an hour ago. No video, I haven't gotten that far yet to fly and video. That is kind of like flying and bsing on the cellphone to me.

Regards,

So are you using GPS procedures for landing or are you using input from the NAV1 radio?

I don't understand your explanation. My problem is...the autopilot is landing me considerably short every time and it won't let me have control of the plane's altitude to stay on the glideslope. The autopilot itself does not stay on the glideslope. When the glideslop indicator descends to center on the display, the VS and ALT buttons go off as expected (I'm flying the 747). At this point, you would expect the autopilot to stay on the glideslope as you cross the threshold. Instead, my plane drops out of the sky and the autopilot will not relinquish control for me to keep it on the glideslope. I can't turn the autopilot off because I need it to keep me lined up with the runway.

I am using NAV1 radio input ILS on approach.

Could you try explaining again please?

By the way, that last post was mine. I just forgot to log in before I posted.

HowardsRock,

I'll try to explain a little better.A/T Auto Throttle. A/P Auto Pilot. To control the throttles disengage the A/T you know have control of your decent and the speed. If you allow the A/P to do this you will end up short of the threshole usually. As far as stayinr true to the glideslope I have noticed once in a while that the aircraft seems to "crab" a little bit but it does correct it usually, but you need to be ready to disengage the
CMD to manually fly into the glideslope. I know what you have been saying as it did this with the 737 also. Give this a try and see how the 747 hanled it. Check the kneeboard of the aircraft to get the correct configuration so you don't exceed the flaps settings.

Regards,

As I said before, I cannot disengage APP/CMD until just before the threshold. Those are the only things that keep me aligned with the runway. If i disengage A/P before I'm lined up, I will miss the runway completely. That's with no wind. With a crosswind, I am just screwed. I honestly believe it's impossible to land correctly when there's a crosswind, but that's another topic for another thread.

FYI, I do disengage A/T about 3-4 miles from the threshold.

HowardsRock,

Try it this way. Set the ILS frequency on your NAV 1 radio. Then when you are starting final approach press the "NAV" button on the autopilot rather than the "APR" button. The autopilot will then track the localizer beam for the runway center line, but will not track the glide slope. That way you should be able to control your descent manually with the throttle. 😉

the A/P on the default FS2004 747 does not have Autoland function.
as you get to the threshold the ILS cone is gettting smaller and smaller so the tolerance is less and less.

Your gonna have to learn to land these things by hand for the last few seconds of the flight. maybe try in something smaller first and work up to the big boys. Which is more realistic anyway, as they don't chuck people into the 747's until they can master the smaller ones.

I seem to remember from you previous posts that you do not have a joystick. Again this would account for most of your difficulty. It is very difficult to land a 747 with keyboard only (i think this is why they put either a yoke or stick in real aircraft rather than a keyboard 😉 ).
even a cheapo $5 stick will be better than keys.

Then its practice,practice,practice, building up to larger aircraft each time.