Need help landing @ CYCG

[scott967 62]

I've been trying some approaches into Castlegar CYCG in the AFG Beech 300. The available approaches are all from the north, and have MDAs about 3000-3500 AGL. It seems like once I pick up the airport, I am very close. The first couple of times ATC sent me to Rwy 33, so I left the approach and tried to set up for a left-hand circuit. But I was pretty far past the airport heading down the valley before I could get down to 1000 ft. Turning base and then final seemed a trick, it felt like I was going to crash into the mountains, but I did get it down. Then I tried a landing into Rwy 15, and that I screwed up pretty badly. It seems like there is no way to land straight in? I guess the correct way is to overfly the runway while descending, and then do a right-hand pattern? What would a proper rate of descent be for this kind of approach? It seems like 1500 fpm makes it tougher to maintain Vappr. I was using the GPS approach plate, but there is also an offset LOC which I had dialed in as an aid. Any ideas on how to do this correctly appreciated.scott s..

[Geddy_2112 8]

From what I recall from RW pilots, there is a dramatic increase in the Rate of Descent once passing the mountains. I know Air Canada Jazz flies the Dash 8's into there. I personally hug the mountain to the west and pick up the runway. I have never come in from the south approach either so can't be of help there. Maybe time to switch to VATSIM and stop using the FS ATC.Cheers

[RFields5421 1]

A tight circling descent to the west of the runway seems to work well in the aircraft I try.The key appears to be your KIAS needs to be just a bit over the full flaps stall speed well before the "island" type mountain to the north of the airport.Also, in good visibility, I'll move to the right of the approach path and descend a bit early.But I've never made the Rwy 15 landing on the first pass, always doing a right hand pattern for landing.Also, though this airport has IAP's, those are really only to get you close enough to make a visual landing - with a minimum ceiling 3,000 ft above the runway.

[byork 2,258]

They (Pacific Western Airlines) way back when used to land 737's at CYCG.If you're up for a challenge, that's it right there.Cheers,Bryan

[scott967 62]

Thanks all, I will keep working on it.scott s..

[Orlaam 306]

Without getting into the sim right now to look at it, I'd just make sure to configure the plane for landing early enough to slow for landing. With gear and flaps down, you should be able to slow pretty good, but I don't use that plane either, so maybe it's FDEs are different than the twins I fly in the sim. Some finals can be fairly steep though, so don't worry about being too pitched down.

[Guest neslesman]

Yes, I remember when one of the 737s on route from Calgary to Castlegar on the milk run had a scheduled stop in Cranbrook in heavy snow. There was a snow plow on the runway and, with thrust reversers engaged they aborted for a go around. Unfortunately one reverser didn't stow as there was a built in loss of hydraulics to the reversers on take off.The aircraft broke up, crashed and burnt up just to the left of the runway. There were big enquiries and Boeing came under a lot of criticism with the eventual re-design of the system.More details here. http://aviation-safety.net/database/record...80211-0〈=fr

[january 19]

Scott- Probably the best aid to flying is a Field Of View that's comparable to the real world- that is 180

[Guest wji]

I've flown my realworld Mooney into Castlegar Airport and as a licensed instrument pilot will comment on this post.IMO, the real issue is one's ability to read and understand instrument approach plates (IAPs) as published -- in this instance -- in the Canadian Air Pilot (CAP).Scott, cited a couple of .JPG, IAPs in his post.I've flown the LOC/DME CYCG Rwy15 approach many times in FS9 and it's not the work of day nor child's play for the serious simmer. May I suggest at first to read and understand the published procedure and then practice flying it without any interference from FS9's ATC.Once everything about the procedure is understood, try it in IFR conditions in the sim and then, lastly, try using FS9's ATC under IFR conditions and see it they get it correct. FS9 is not the best IFR tool where rising terrain -- such as at Castlegar, BC -- is involved.Fly high and have fun.P.S. Take special note of the MAP (Missed Approach Point) on the CAP, NDB/DME plate. The aircraft elevation at YK, NDB(269) is 5500ft and the CAP plate states: "YK NDB to MAP is 1.3NM"This means -- when in the soup -- the crew has 52-seconds (at 90KIAS) to decide whether to proceed or go missed. If the runway is not in sight, the Missed Approach must be executed.

[january 19]

Bill- No quarrel- the IAP is the bible- ignore it at your peril!But if your peripheral vision had deteriorated to the 90

[scott967 62]

Thanks Bill, but what would a reasonable rate of descent be? On the LOC/DME the FAF is only 3.3 miles out with an indicated alt of 6300 or about 4700 ft AFE. Assuming you get a visual at this point, that appears to be about 2.25 min @ 90 kts so you would need > 2000 fpm for a straight-in. At 1500 fpm that would seem to get you to about pattern alt as you cross the threshold? Even if I do that to land on 15 I'm having trouble with the circuit, since it seems difficult to continue the downwind to a point where you could turn base and final with a 500 or so fpm descent due to the terrain (I'm using a custom mesh and airport flatten that I made, but it should be close to, say, Holger Sandmann's BC mesh I think).scott s..