Thanks Ryan. I hope there up coming G1000 (172 182) projects have a good simulation of the G1000 or I'll pass. Probably will buy the Mustang again, didn't know G1000's where capable of VNAV.

Yep, I've actually done a fully VNAV coupled approach in a G1000 WAAS equiped Bonanza G36 (Chris Palmer of Angle of Attack fame as PIC), it's pretty amazing to watch, it does it just like an airliner.

Yep, I've actually done a fully VNAV coupled approach in a G1000 WAAS equiped Bonanza G36 (Chris Palmer of Angle of Attack fame as PIC), it's pretty amazing to watch, it does it just like an airliner.

That so cool. Wont WAAS replace ILS (at least ILS CAT I). I cannot see a reason why the FAA or Transport Canada would put any new ILS at new airports where one doesnt already exist. WAAS doesnt require an ground based stations right, so thats must mean it is cheaper to have a WAAS installed then an ILS. WAAS can have minimums down to 200 feet, the same as the CAT I ILS. I dont think Canada even has any WAAS approaches yet, nor does Australia. It would be a cool thing to have in a 172 to fly around the states with though.

...Last question sorry to be a pain, can someone recommend a fast track (if there is such a thing) to being able to fly heavy as opposed to short journey prop based, I would need to learn IFR // VFR, holding patterns, landing etc ...

Start with default Cessna or similar. When you are happy with an excercise, try it with on of the other default aircraft, from a DC3 to a learjet. Basic handling. Get comfortable with takeoff, circuit and landing pure visual. With your existing experiance, this should be pretty easy. Basic Radio navigation. Take off, fly to a VOR and an NDB. Fly a radial and an intercept. Use ILS to assist your landing. Basic route planning. Plan route from airport to airport with at least two navaids and an interception and an ILS assisted landing. When comfortable, fly it at night. Then fly it without using GPS or map. 3D route planning. Plan a route with mountains to fly around or a pass to fly through. Destination airport higher (or lower) then takeoff. Check points where you have to be at certain altitudes when you reach them. Later you can add speed constraints as well. Basic autopilot. Repeat the last two routes using the autopilot to reduce your workload. Approach and landings. Use charts to plan your approaches to different airports. These will force you to be at the right speed, at the right height at the right time and in the right place. Don't bother with anything that requires ATC or vectors, so you might be better off starting with non-US airports until you master this. Run some of your landings manually and some with autopilot. And use different aircraft. Getting a learjet and a DC3 onto the same approach plate requires very different handling when one is at 40,000ft and Mach .8 and the other is struggling to reach 10,000 at 240knots. Try the same excercises with different fuel and payloads.You should now be able to plan and fly a route from Zurich to Nice where you will pick up a 70% payload to fly to Barcelona. There you will change payload for a 80% load, but do not refuel due to a local strike, and fly it to Cardiff. From Cardiff you have a 30% payload to get to Amsterdam, before you pick up your final 80% load of the day back to Zurich. When you progress to an aircraft with an FMC, (whether its a JS41 or an MD11) some of your planning will be done with routes and intersections instead of VOR's and NDB's but the principles remain the same and the FMC might (or might not) have VNAV capabilities, but whatever new aircraft you fly, you are only learning how that particular aircraft does the things that you know how to do, which means you are only concentrating on one new thing at a time, and that is the fastest fast track I know of. Best of luck...

That so cool. Wont WAAS replace ILS (at least ILS CAT I). I cannot see a reason why the FAA or Transport Canada would put any new ILS at new airports where one doesnt already exist. WAAS doesnt require an ground based stations right, so thats must mean it is cheaper to have a WAAS installed then an ILS. WAAS can have minimums down to 200 feet, the same as the CAT I ILS. I dont think Canada even has any WAAS approaches yet, nor does Australia. It would be a cool thing to have in a 172 to fly around the states with though.

I wouldn't rely entirely on GPS for navigation that close to the ground. In many areas (including the DC area where I live), the GPS coverage can get a little iffy with interference and other issues. Maybe at Cat I level DHs, that would be one thing, but I'll stick to my ILSs please.

Start with default Cessna or similar. When you are happy with an excercise, try it with on of the other default aircraft, from a DC3 to a learjet. Basic handling. Get comfortable with takeoff, circuit and landing pure visual. With your existing experiance, this should be pretty easy. Basic Radio navigation. Take off, fly to a VOR and an NDB. Fly a radial and an intercept. Use ILS to assist your landing. Basic route planning. Plan route from airport to airport with at least two navaids and an interception and an ILS assisted landing. When comfortable, fly it at night. Then fly it without using GPS or map. 3D route planning. Plan a route with mountains to fly around or a pass to fly through. Destination airport higher (or lower) then takeoff. Check points where you have to be at certain altitudes when you reach them. Later you can add speed constraints as well. Basic autopilot. Repeat the last two routes using the autopilot to reduce your workload. Approach and landings. Use charts to plan your approaches to different airports. These will force you to be at the right speed, at the right height at the right time and in the right place. Don't bother with anything that requires ATC or vectors, so you might be better off starting with non-US airports until you master this. Run some of your landings manually and some with autopilot. And use different aircraft. Getting a learjet and a DC3 onto the same approach plate requires very different handling when one is at 40,000ft and Mach .8 and the other is struggling to reach 10,000 at 240knots. Try the same excercises with different fuel and payloads.You should now be able to plan and fly a route from Zurich to Nice where you will pick up a 70% payload to fly to Barcelona. There you will change payload for a 80% load, but do not refuel due to a local strike, and fly it to Cardiff. From Cardiff you have a 30% payload to get to Amsterdam, before you pick up your final 80% load of the day back to Zurich. When you progress to an aircraft with an FMC, (whether its a JS41 or an MD11) some of your planning will be done with routes and intersections instead of VOR's and NDB's but the principles remain the same and the FMC might (or might not) have VNAV capabilities, but whatever new aircraft you fly, you are only learning how that particular aircraft does the things that you know how to do, which means you are only concentrating on one new thing at a time, and that is the fastest fast track I know of. Best of luck...

Hi PaulExcellent information there, exactly the kind of reply I was hoping for! have copied to notepad and saved - thanks very much, going to try going through your tips tonight for some long friday night flying!

I wouldn't rely entirely on GPS for navigation that close to the ground. In many areas (including the DC area where I live), the GPS coverage can get a little iffy with interference and other issues. Maybe at Cat I level DHs, that would be one thing, but I'll stick to my ILSs please.

Isn't this the whole point of the WAAS certification though, ensuring that "iffy" coverage can't happen etc?

Isn't this the whole point of the WAAS certification though, ensuring that "iffy" coverage can't happen etc?

Yep

Yep

True, but I've had more than one experience where my WAAS certified GPS drops coverage near DC in cruise. At FL 090, no big deal, but at AGL 200, that would be a problem. Maybe that's an issue unique to us here in black ops central, but I'm not relying on GPS alone for NAV or approaches anytime in the near future. (Except in a sim, where crashes are free and GPS coverage unfailing.)