Very nice post Ian. I may be using this as a check list for the Sunday PIC flights beginning this fall. Looks very promissing and I may need your help with tips on the California and BC approaches.

Your "home made" system - wow! I just may need to get together with you later this fall with a tip or two on a new system I am wanting to build. Are you running with all your sliders maxed out? How nice it must be!

@ Martin and all the other guys that were right :How did you all know that? :-hmmmRegards Matthias

I'm impressed. I have yet to bring anything bigger than my Cheyanne in with wheels and struts intact on the Expressway Visual for LGA. For me it's having the courage to make the turn that low to hit the numbers....

>I'm impressed. I have yet to bring anything bigger than my >Cheyanne in with wheels and struts intact on the Expressway >Visual I can't remember how many times I have tried this approach - nor how how many times I have been succesfull. I know that I have made it in a 767, 737, DC10, and CARJ.At the same time - I have made a fool of myself trying this approach many many many times. I am WAY less then 50% on this approach and I haven't flown in the east for many many months. The following are some of the results I can remember from flying the Expressway Visual:- Go around with too much going on, somehow managed to put out my speed brakes and then could not figure why I stalled on my crosswind turn.- Trying to go "super slow" on the way in.. stalled and crashed short.- Landing almost sideways on something that was not the runway - because I was too stubborn, embarassed, and/or irresposible to go around - resulted in the simulator resetting - Touchdown too late and too fast, resulting in loss of runway under aircraft wheels soon replaced by water.- One time I went around twice and kept trying it again and again - it was not my night, this time I rolled out on a nice heading to land, but I was too high, there is not a lot of time to correct - and once again, not wanting to go around a third time, I tried to put her down with a huge vertical speed - result was a crash .All this happened on VATSIM with ATC - usually on the old MONDAY NE NIGHT. Quite embarassing, but you never know until you try .Ian.

Hmmm...Have you tried the approach to LGSM (Samos) ?There are charters that do fly 767s over there during summer...Usually rwy 27 is in use. Both runways are quite challenging.For rwy 27 you must make an almost 90deg left turn at just 4nm finalsto avoid busting the Turkish FIR border, while on rwy 09 you make the same tight 90deg right turn to avoid high terrain and villages.If you want to simulate it, charts are available at the Hellenic virtual Area Control Center at http://greece.avsim.net/Enjoy!George DorkofikisAthens, Greece

LOL.... just tell them that you aren't using standard scenery so it looks different to them.I've actually had the same thing happen to me on the MOD2 arrival into KSFO a few times over the weekend; I think in one instance you were the approach controller before switching over to Reno.For some reason after crossing CEDES at 11,000/250 I have always been vectored to the 28's instead of being allowed to proceed to FAITH. I've found it difficult to descend from 11,000 ft at CEDES and land on either runway, especially when I should be approx. 1800 ft at BRIJJ.I ended up in the bay early this morning because I was too sleepy and didn't want to do a go-around.

LOL... if you tell us that you arent using standard scenery after missing the expressway visual more than twice, we will purposely stick you on an ILS for JFK!!Many people have been joked on when they fly that approach into LGA on VATSIM. We love to see it behind the scope! Ian has been joked on many times in the past, i remember those tries!! LOL.But i really commend all those who even just try that approach on VATSIM, it really is not easy. I have vectored countless amounts of planes onto that approach, and lately most people are getting it down on the first try! Even i cant do that approach most times with 1 try. I see that the level of pilot skill is greatly increasing as the years go by... finally!Everyone should come out and try that approach, its one of the greatest!!Chris Lezama

Stiff,Interesting you mention this.. I have been "playing around" with how to get guys onto the LOC most efficiently from the Modesto Arrival. For the most part I've been giving them a descent RIGHT after CEDES and then a vector a few miles later - I have not had anyone complain yet on the descent (other PIC'rs I mean - I know Henry Koch has come in on the Modesto with me a few times) so I might have to revisit this method based on your observations.To be honest, I have sort of been "cheating" with that little turn before FAITH and a quick descent - this would probably be pretty rare RW since the Modestos have to stay off of the PXN traffic heading for ALVAR on the OAK RWY29 approach. We are in the middle of reorganizing the entire BAY area into the soon to go live "Sierra Approach" configuration which basically reorganizes the North California Tracon completely. Once that goes live, the controller handling approaches into San Francisco will not have the "leeway" to descend you immediately, nor give you a shortcut to the localiser between CEDES and FAITH - you will be operating under his control while in another's sky under LOA. In fact much of the bay will function like that - we might even have a go on VATSIM with this configuration as early as this weekend as we start our preparations for CalScream VI (which will now include Seattle Center as well for those of you who want to fly in from the NW) which is scheduled for mid September.--------Sigh - Here I go again yakking away on the ATC thing on the PC forum.. I need to find myself a muzzle .It's been great seeing you flying in Oakland 'Stiff - please do not hesitate to offer any comments or observations on the quality and the procedures we use while we are in this "transitional" phase.See ya soon,Ian Elchitz CYWG

Chris,There "used" to be a published visual into JFK that sort of followed the VOR13 where you followed the big lights on top of the buildings in a right turn before landing.I can not remember what it was called - but I do remember one night I flew into JFK and the approach guy assigned me the ILS. I of course did not want the ILS at all and asked if i could try that visual. They had me hold for about 10 mins until a few others made it in on the ILS (different runway) and then I was cleared for the visual. In the end I smashed her good.. in fact, if I remember correctly - I not only completely messed up the visual, I also crashed into another aircraft that was taxiing .What I *DO* remember like it was yesterday was after my sim had reset - placing me back wherever my journey began - I made the call on the frequency that I had not made it - and the response on the other end was a whole lot of laughter from the controllers and the other pilots. This is one of the things that I love about Vatsim. It's not just the common bond we all have - a love for aviation - it is the good natured fun that we all have. I really wish more people would drop their "fear" of flying online and just take that first step and try it.Ian Elchitz CYWGThe guy who **ONLY** crashes in NY airspace.

Ian,The published restriction for CEDES is 11,000/250.I've tried the approach three times over the weekend and I've found it difficult to bleed off speed and altitude; probably just a reflection of my flying skills. I'l probably try it at a lower speed later this evening but I as recall, the vector put me about 8 miles from the runway so there wasn't enough time to get the landing configuration right.I just disconnected before I could hear you guys laughing. :-)