First of I have to say that I am actually a very happy long time customer. Ever since I started going around I have noticed many bugs or problems with my installation perhaps. I do know there is a difference between bugs and pilot error but I have read all the manuals 2 times now and have about 200 hours in this aircraft but very little of it doing missed approaches. Anyway I think I might be up for a reinstall what do you guys think?

 

So there I am approaching Dutch harbor again for my second try. I have built the GPS E into this airport using the way points and speed/altitude constraints (this approach is not in the database). I set the mcp alt to the MDA before the IAF and I also have the missed approach hold point point following the MAP with a disco between the 2. You can go to Airnav.com and pop up the GPS-E at PADU if you want to follow along. The IAF which is ALEUT is also the MAHP or hold point on the missed. I was able to put in speed/alt constraints in all of the way points including the first ALEUT except the second ALEUT(missed hold point). This fix doubles as an IAF and a MAHP. Every time I tried to put the constraint into this second ALEUT it would say invalid entry in the FMC. Why should this be? Anyway this was the beginning of many problems soon to follow. I did not make it in because it went below minimums again but I did not care for I need to practice this stuff. Since I could not put in a constraint at ALEUT I had to fly the missed in LNAV/Vert speed. As I am heading to this fix I set up the hold there and it said invalid entry again in the hold page alt/speed LSK. There is no good reason why I cant do this there especially considering I have flown over and the fms subsequently erased all other fixes. Anyway, after entering the hold nothing on the captains side fms worked right. as I imputed letters into the scratch pad one letter would erase on its own as i put in another, obviously i could not put in any more data into this fms. Just before that I set up in the rte page my alternate which was also my departure airport Cold Bay. Then I put in the VOR near this airport in the legs page. It let me do that but then I just got an invalid entry on every constraint i tried to put in and then the scratchpad issue with the disappearing last character cropped up. On climb out the fms would not accept an altitude entry into the cruise or climb page either on the copilots side(captains side had the scratchpad issue). I would type the altitude into the scratch pad, lsk it into the alt box and the enter button would highlight but when I hit enter the next VNAV page would pop up and nothing would happen. Trying to put in 350 into the altitude box in climb page and hitting enter would automatically select the cruise page where there would be nothing. The climb speed section also would not allow me to select any speed over 232 knots for the climb above the 250,10000 feet restriction either. Obviously I am not going to slow down above 10,000 feet!

 

Basically the only way I was able to find my way home was to use the copilots fms which worked fine.

 

 

I guess I need a flight instructor from PMDG to come over to my house and teach me to go through this routing because I have read and studied and practiced and am drawing the conclusion that something is wrong with the installation. I am doing everything by the book as far as I know but I should be able to put another alt and speed constraint on the second of the same fix in a loop around the airport. Instead the FMS says invalid entry.

 

So if this is indeed pilot error then how the heck do I shoot an approach into an airport with no approaches in the database, build my own approach with all the fixes that are in the database. Build the missed approach, set up a hold there with alt/speed constraints all the way. The how do I got to the alternate while able to set the cruise altitude on the way there and have the aircraft fly a VNAV profile to this cruise altitude and fly the path into the alternate destination approach and land? The whole thing where it decided to only let me put in one character and not spell out anything beyond one letter leads me to believe something is not working right. Maybe the fms just bugs out with a pilot built procedure after the toga button is pushed.

 

Thanks, any help is much appreciated.

 

SP1c

More likely then not you forgot the keyboard entry turned on, and pressed some bad buttons on the keyboard. happens to me all the time.

 

As for what to do... there is an Alaskan RNP approach pack out there, you should try it. It will more likely then not add correct procedures for the airport in correct format.