Question for the Pilots!!

[Guest]

When there is low visibility like lets say half a mile to 2 miles, or to the point you cant see anything. How do you land? Do you let the auto pilot take control? Is there heads up display? or does atc send you to another airport? I tried many times landing in low visibilty in FS with the 734, and so far no success. I either over shoot or miss the runway or land before the treshold!Thanks in advance and take care!

[Guest]

You can hand fly (or if you're lazy ;) let the autopilot handle) in following the ILS (most runways you'd fly into at the visibility where its that important will probably have ILS). If you're flying into an airport with no ILS, you'd best learn the area visually, otherwise you will do as you have, and touch down too early or too late.Scott

[michal 44]

In a case like this you have to fly so called "instrument approach". Such an approach will bring you to a point where you either have to see runway and land or you will have to miss approach and go somewhere else. You have to grab some literature .. instrumet flying is a very rich subject.Michael J.

[Guest]

You can go as low as you want, 1/4 miles !! No problom at all in fs2k2!I think fs2k2's ATC is not smart enough to divert you to another airport automatically unless you instructed the ATC with a "Indirect" commads and responds in accordance with the given instruction or optioned by ATC.Manual landing in low visibility is very difficult, since you fly a 734, and with the hope that your destination airport runway is ILS/GSed, then leave the entire approach and landing to the AUTOPILOT, u will land perfectly well. (This is asumed that you have mastered the landing using Autopilot with correct speed and flag control during the approach from 10 miles out when you had intercepted the GS.Cheers!Happy Flying!

[Guest]

DjAs the other posts have mentioned, in FS 2K2 go for it. No harm will come to you or the airplane in the sim. However in the real world there are rules you have to live by and it makes for good flight simming as well.In the real world some of the modern airplanes like the 747, 777, and some Airbus planes will land in

[Hornit 3]

Most Airlines have standard operating procedures that dictate when the autopilot will be used for approaches. For the most part, when visibility is below about 3/4 mile then the autopilot will fly the approach and we will take over manually just prior to touchdown or at minimums for the particular approach. Once the visibility goes below about 1/4 mile we start thinking about autoland and below about 1/8 of a mile its an autoland all the time. We do train to fly Category I and II approaches without the autopilot every time we go back to the simulator (once or twice a year) I fly 757's and 767's for Delta Air Lines.Hornit

[Guest]

Rick,Your comments bring to mind my own experience of chucking the limits out of the window when I had a jammed fuel selector and had to take a P A R approach down to 80 feet overcast and 300 metres.The Military base was colour code red.It was that or run out of fuel!You never know the sense of relief when the runway lights come into view in those circumstances.I also know of ferry pilots who have to land in almost zero zero on occasion.Peter

[Guest]

these are some great information! this sure did open my eyes, now to find out how to enable autoland on the 734:) Thanks for the help, keep this discussion going if you want.ThanksReza

[Guest]

Reza,There is no AUTOLAND in fs2k2, but you can download one fron avsim. What i wmentioned was the combination of engaging AT and AP with correctly apply of flags and reducng of thrust in a steady way which after you intercrpted the GS, your aircraft configuaration would bring your 734 decending at the right rate and ...touch down on the right spot on the runway!So, try and you will defenitely enjoy the full features of fs2k2 which was missing in fs2002 and fs98!For your imformation, I was previously flying fs98 from 1999 and swtiched to fs2k2 6 months ago and I can tell you I really enjoy it very much flying the "pure" fs2k2 with only one addon, that is the magnifciant S-Combo module that create a co-pilot and cabin crew envourment.!

[Guest]

Which autoland works best? I downloaded one that kept crashing my simulator :-(I have only been flying a few planes in the simulator, mostly big passenger jets - now I can land a 747 easily but can't land a Learjet properly in the best conditions...Kitty MercuryCathay Pacific Virtual Pilot (CX252)

[Guest]

I personally had never use any Autoland yet. I don't think I will use it becuase it makes flying too boring! You want to AUTO everything from take off till landing!! It's just too bored for me!By using the AT to control my approach and decend rate during landing is GOOD enough for me and it does not kill off the MOST Fun part of a sim, that's landing..!!Frankly, I have been flying the 737 and had yet to fly a 747 in fs2k2 because I did not find a 747 panel that is really great yet (..I mean the freeware one :()What do you say Captain Cathay? I should try flying the 747 for long haul flight from SIN - AMS as my first 747 flight! Does't the control of fs2k2 default 747 is as easy as the 737? Any advice before I take the right seat in the 747?...or I should just sit back and relax in the upper deck?Cheers!