Hi,

 

I am trying to use GPS choosing vectors to land to a ILS runway. I bet this is not the right way to do it with this aircraft (QW 146 Arvo RJ-100), but I am trying to learn on how would one do it.

 

My Flight Plan is from KSEA-KPDX and chose the route in the GPS. And then I select the approach runway via the GPS - in this case I chose Runway 28R. I found the radio frequency, and I put it in Nav 1 and Nav 2 (I am quite positive this is wrong way, especially putting them all over the radios - but this was only done after numerous tries to capture Localizer and Glide Scope) - 111.30

 

I have Vor Loc button set to on (in Pic it is off though, as it is going towards holding pattern), and GPS button set to on - including Nav 1 and Nav 2 both set to on (apparently that is the only way to turn on Autopilot too??)

 

I have spend numerous hours on google and youtube to understand ILS landing, and I get the jist of it - but this is 146 and in the videos it is usually 737. I know it should not be that different, but I bet there are some nuances.

 

Please take a look at the pic, and let me know on what I am doing wrong. In the pic, the plane misses the runway completely and goes into holding pattern (as long as I have GPS button set to On).

 

Once I am able to do this - I will have to learn the FMC.

 

Anyway I appreciate anyone's help on this matter.

 

[ Yes, I can set a default plan via the menu for a ILS Flight - but that is something I am not trying to do, nor I want to get ATC involved). I just want to see GPS and Nav radio guiding me to the Localizer and Glide Scope. ]

 

Sorry for the double post - I have no idea on how that happened. Can someone delete the other duplicate post

Don't know and own the plane but one thing is for sure: GPS and ILS don't work together. To use ILS you have to use NAV mode and NOT GPS mode! As long as you are in GPS mode the ILS won't be intercepted because it works with VOR LOC only. Isn't there a button to swith between GPS and NAV somewhere? You can still use the GPS vor visual guidance (seeing where you are going) but not to guide the plane down to the runway.

Turn the GPS off. To tie the AP to the ILS you need nav 1 tuned to the ILS frequency, and set the course to the runway heading. Once the glideslope is getting close to capture, make sure the APP button is lit. (I think...) For auto land you need to set both Nav radios and courses to the runway (not that I trust the RJ autoland...). The GPS is only providing lateral navigation, which is why you fly straight over the airport to the hold.

 

(Yeah... What Jeroen said while I was typing).

Yep, this is where you go wrong: as said turn off GPS (the middle red box) and as Mike said you also have to set the course! Since you are trying to land on rwy 28R you clearly haven't set that one yet! In order to use the ILS you at least have to set the left one: for autoland set both the left and right one.

 

You need to practice with thhe default 737 until you learn the details and limits. Here is a practice flight to see what FSX is giving you. Remember, OBS/CRS knobs only set VOR radials and do not function in ILS Mode.

 

ILS Procedure for FSX (practice) at KSEA:

 

GPS/NAV switch to NAV

Set COm1 to Tower 119.9.

Set NAV1 to ILS RWY 34 RT 110.3.

Set NAV2 to ILS RWY 34 LT 117.1. (Both DMEs the same)

 

1. Taxi B737 to position and hold Rwy 34 RT.

 

2. Request taxi if you want to get the tower involved.

 

3. Set AP HDG to 343, ALT to 5000, and AT AS to 250.

 

4. Takeoff. Set AP/HDG/ALT/AT to ON.

 

5. Turn HDG to 168. Aircraft will turn to 168 and level off at 5000.

 

6. At 23 miles DME, turn HDG to 003 and AT AS to 190. (The LOC needle will stay active (about 25 Miles). When the DME reads about 20 miles the Glideslope (GS) needle will go active and peg to the top of the guage and the BELOW G/S light will coe ON.

 

7. Set APP to ON. The aircraft will turn to center the LOC needle and HDG will dis-engage. The GS needle will slowly come down and center. The ALT will dis-engage.

 

8. Drop 3 clicks of flaps, Set AT AS to 160. Drop gear. The aircraft will fly 2.5 degree slope.

 

9. Set AT AS to 150. Add flaps slowly to Full DN.

 

10. At 100 feet, dis-engage AT and close power levers.

 

11. Flare/land.

 

Do a touch and go to try it again.

 

Have fun

Dave

You need to practice with thhe default 737 until you learn the details and limits.

 

Er... but if he does so he has to learn everything all over again with the QW 146 Arvo RJ-100...? The default plane doesn't require a course to be set, for instance, so if he learns how to fly this default plane, he will still be stuck with the QW 146 Arvo RJ-100... It's no use learning the limits of a default plane if an addon plane doesn't have those limits. ^_^

 

I know it's very common advice to learn to fly with default planes first, but imho it isn't very good advice if you simply don't ever want to fly them.

I know it's very common advice to learn to fly with default planes first, but imho it isn't very good advice if you simply don't ever want to fly them.

 

Not necessarily the default planes.. but most definately smaller/simple planes first.. especially learning basics, navigation, and instrument approaches..

 

And not just the simpler aircraft, but learning about things like an ILS approach by flying them sans auto-pilot until you fully understand them.. THEN move up the size/speed/complexity/automation ladder

Can someone delete the other duplicate post

 

Done.

Here is the rule for default planes and most addons (this excludes PMDG 737 NGX that has a FMC): you use the GPS to follow a flight plan, and you use the Nav to follow a glideslope. The GPS will NOT follow a glideslope and the Nav will not follow a flight plan. For planes that do not have a GPS/NAV switch, you usually switch betten them by switching the CDI button which is located on the left bottom of the GPS screen. So what you do is follow the flight plan using the GPS, and as you turn into the ILS beam, you flip the GPS/NAV switch or the CDI button to NAV, and if your frequency is set to the ILS frequency, and your course is set to the runway heading and is you are not too high and if you are below the glideslope, you will grab the glideslope from below (most planes require grabbing the glideslope from below).

 

Don't forget that none of the default FSX aircraft can autoland, so that you have to turn off the autopilot a few hundred feet AGL and hand land the plane. However you can cheat and land with the autopilot if you know the stall speed of the aircraft: some planes will raise their nose when they approach stall speed, so if you let it slow down just enough just above the runway, the nose will rise and simulate a flare. This does not work with all aircraft, and works best with small planes. For example the Pilatus PC12 lands very well like this.

 

Henri

What is the purpose/effect of setting the heading on the QW 146 Arvo RJ-100...?

Wow, thank you everyone - I did manage to land a flight - I had to create a flight path with ATC, but by manually flying it, I wasn't able to lock on to the Localizer (maybe I was below in altitude...1700 instead of 2700) etc

 

I had to use the Heading Indicator - I have no idea what the Course Indicators do -

 

I was flying that on P3D (had to uninstall FSX for the time being - so no Boeing 737, but I do have Embraer 145 - I will try on that too - I do recall that ILS landing was much easier on that one, than the 146). Though in one of my landings, my speed dropped fast while coming down the glidescope and at one time near approach, my system hit the damn out of memory error (4GB VAS - this totally reminds me of Dos 640KB Ram days - so annoying).

 

I had to wiki to understand why runways are 10L or 28R - what the heading means - for example from what I understand is that 10L means Heading 100 and 28R means 280R (I hope this is approx correct)

 

And Now I do have to try OldMaintChief's ILS Training Example

 

There is so much to learn, I just wish there was step by step howto/guide/site to learn this (I am waiting for Aviator Pro by Angle of Attack to show up - that component is done for the moment) - please feel free to suggest !!

Henri is righht, my step 10 should add "and AP off"! You also need to drop the gear with the flaps. My test flght is to just practice without ATC procedures and any aircraft can be used. Once you feel comfortable shooting ILS approaches, move on to correct ATC/Tower procedures.

 

FSX Help has some basic nav info you must read.

 

This site has good info:

 

http://www.navfltsm.addr.com/

 

You need to setup your PC data in your account. This may get help with your OOM problem.

 

Runway 9L means when you are on the approach your compass should read 090 degrees and you are landing on the left hand runway. If the compass reads 270 then you are landing from the west. The same runway will be 27R.

 

Dave

Be a little wary of runway designations and headings. They're only nominal directions. Where I learned to fly runway 5 was 045*, and at another place runway 3 was in fact 018*. You'd think that would be 02, but the reciprocal of that is runway 20. The last thing you need at a flight school is a bunch of students, many using a second language by rote to communicate, mixing up runway 02 and 20! So they made it 03 and 21. If you need to check, the FSX map has the actual ILS direction.

The RJ is simple but tricky .....

 

All the replies are fine but this is all you need to do for an ILS in the RJ..

 

1 Tune the ILS freq in NAV 1 and activate it (Press the up arrow)

 

2 Set the approach course in Nav 1 (its for reference only)

 

3 When within 10 miles or so of the LOC press the VOR LOC button

 

4 Now the TRICKY part....at the bottom of the FMC, set the CRS knob to V/L

 

5 Intercept the LOC and when you see the GS indicator at the top of the PFD start to move down, press the APP button.

 

Everyone forgets that on this plane the CRS knob needs to be set, thats all you are missing, enjoy your flight :-)

Hi Skywolf

 

All the replies here are very accurate and helpful.

Even If you do all those things I think there are still situations you will find the QW146 does NOT WANT TO PLAY when capturing the ILS.

I have compared the ILS capture with the PMDG NGX and the latter is usually the most reliable I have found.

 

I have bought the 737 600 expansion to fly into short runways-I believe the minimum landing lengths are just slightly longer for the NGX going from real world figures.

 

Don't get disheartened if you find the QW146 does not always capture the glide slope.

Some products ARE better than others in this respect.

 

Cheers

Jay