As we cannot include STARS in our Flight Plans I have been trying to use the GPS in the Airbus to achieve an automatic landing.When some way from the airport I activate the three options of:Activate vectors to finalActivate approachSelect approachLet's assume I've chosen runway 19. When I check the Flight Plan I note that the new item reading "Approach VORME 19" is included AFTER the airport and I'm stumped about how to make that automatic approach. The aircraft continues in a straight line to the airport rather than follow the normal STAR type change of headings.Advice would be most welcome.Cliff

Hi,Using GPS navigation normally, it will sequence the waypoints but you will have to control altitude and speed to DH.I do not fly the Airbus. So, do not know how it works ... I would assume it has an ILS receiver to caputre the locializer/glideslope and its FMC computer would do the rest for autoland.Some GPS units have VNAV which also helps on arrivals.Fully automatic approach/missed approcah procedure is not possible with GPS (fully automatic). It is not an ILS autoland approach setup.Gps used alone will guide you but you have to fly the planeBest Regards,

Hi,The approach "after" the runway is the "missed approach" procedure. Usually directing you to a holding pattern.

Vauhan you're a Prince for trying to help so let me enlarge a bit.1.The GPS I'm using is the default one that comes with the FSX Airbus. It works in a similar manner to the other GPS's in FSX2. I realise the GPS does not control vertical navigation (such as that offered in the FMC of PMDG aircraft in FS9 when activating VNAV)and that it's my job to control height, speed, flaps and so on.I'm trying to fathom out how to program the GPS to control for the "Approach" and NOT for the "Missed Approach". If I can do that then I have no problem with flying to the point where I activate the automatic ILS down to the runway.Cliff

I'm missing something here. I have no problem doing that at all. I have my flight plan loaded into the GPS. I select the Approach and I Activate the approach. If I set the a/p to NAV and GPS the a/c will fly the approach BUT *I* have to control speed and altitude. Selecting the approach and activating vectors to final will ultimately result in the same thing.This was the same in FS9 as in FSX.HTH,VicVisit the Virtual Pilot's Centerwww.flightadventures.comhttp://www.hifisim.com/Active Sky V6 Proud SupporterRadar Contact Supporter: http://www.jdtllc.com/

Er, the confusion seems to be that Cliffie thinks that the menu selection is the sequence of activation. It's not, its three different alternatives. So their relative position in the menu system has nothing to do with the approach. The VTF defines a bisecting line to a target position, based on the current position of the aircraft and the extended runway centreline. It does NOT fly the approach, nor does it switch automatically.Activate Approach will set the GPS to fly to the Initial Approach Fix or Whatever intersection is used and will fly the standard approach from there - even if the Intersection is twenty miles away back where you just came from.The Select Approach option merely allows you to choose which approach you will load and/or activate - useful when there is more than one and in the real world its nice to be able to put into a real GPS an alternative in case you guessed wrong or are askde to change - it just saves the `head down` time of selecting your GPS-guided approach as you approach busy airspace. FS doesn't offer the alternative in quite the same way, but it's quick enough to be broadly representative.Hope this helps! Allcott

Hi again,If the MSFS flight plan does not include the STAR waypoints you can add them (edit) to the flight plan then save the flight plan. The entire flight then will automatically load into the Garmin.. You would be all set to fly the plan and intercept the Localizer.But, if MSFS ATC starts vectoring the STAR is history, but you could still use the GPS for guidance once cleard for the approach.

If you want the GPS to provide for a coupled approach, it probably is better to select the full transition for the selected approach, rather than vectors. "Vectors" assumes that ATC will give you headings, so you would be flying in heading select. When you select an approach, you can then select load. The approach waypoints will appear after your current flight plan, but you can see it in the plan view window. After it is loaded, you can then select either activate vectors to final, or activate. Either way, your current flight plan is no longer active. in VTF you use heading mode as directed by ATC. In activate mode (assumed you have loaded a full transition), you will be given the heading direct to the first point in the approach. If you request the full transition from ATC, you will normally get cleared direct as well, so that works out well.scott s..

I really am grateful to you all for the help you're offering me. When I turned on my computer in the wee hours of this morning ( I'm in Spain) I was chuffed to see how many of you have pitched in to help me.Unfortunately I'm not there yet as two problems remain.1.No matter what entries I make into the GPS the resultant Flight Plan shows the "Missed Approach" setting where the entry "Approach ILS" is placed AFTER the airport rather then BEFORE it.2. At one stage I'm offered the following four choices:CBCBCTVCTVWhat do they mean? I've been blindly choosing the first CB.Here's the sequence of what I've been doing for my approach into Cape Town, South Africa. 1.Press the PROC button2.Choose ILS 193.Choose CB from the four choices4.Choose "Select Approach"Then when I look at the Flight Plan the ILS is shown AFTER the airport.Where am I going wrong?Cliffie

Did you "activate" the approach after selecting it?The correct order is :Select the approach (ILS10L) eg.Select the approach transition eg.(CB) first approach waypoint(IAF)Activate the approach.What you will see on the Garmin is:Your flight plan waypoints (several)Approach ILS 10L (for example)Approach waypionts (one or more)Your landing runway (10L)A waypoint following the runway for the missed approach procedureHOLD (route to holding point and holding pattern) The missed approach waypoint (after the runway) and the route to the "hold point" and the holding pattern is part of the approach you first selected. You do not select it, it comes up automatically.There are some good examples of this in the Garmin500 and Garmin 530 manuals (Garmin.com) that can be downloaded.I suspect that CTV is the available approach transition choiceWhat airport are you using? I would like to see the ILS plate for the runway/airport to see the waypoints .... approach and missed approach.

I've just followed your "correct order" Vaughan but no luck.May I tell you how I have gone about it?1. I've created a flight using the Airbus A312 with fuel level of 50%.(That's due to the short runway at FAGG)2. I've used the default flight Planner from George FAGG to Cape Town FACT using VOR to VOR and IFR (Instrument flight rules).3. The waypoints are:Airport FAGGVOR GGVVOR SWVVOR CTVAirport FACT4.Using the map I note that Cape Town runway 190 has a heading of 189 and an ILS of 109.100. I dial that figure into Nav1 and make it active.5.I activate the GPS light.6.After leaving SWV I further program the GPS by following the "Correct order as follows:* Selecting "Approach"*Select ILS 190*Select CTV*Activate.....and when I refer to the Flight Plan ILS 19 is still AFTER Cape Town airport FACT.Regards,Cliff

OK,I will print you information and start a flight and see if I can see what you are seeing.... and let you know. OK

The plan:FASDCTVFACTHOLDCL19FL19RW19CTVI flew from FASD to FACT in the Baron58 to check out a full GPS flight with HOLDING at FACT. Then a switch to NAV (from GPS) to check out the ILS.Arriving at FACT (3000') I let the GPS fly the HOLD.During hold (GPS) I dialed in NAV1 frequency 109.1, dialed the approach HDG=189, dialed in CRS=189 for localizer.When I reached the north end of the holding pattern the aircraft started turning to inbound hold heading of 189Switched from GPS to NAVDialed 220 HDG to intercept the ILSWhen ILS activePressed the NAV button to arm localizer captureLocalizer capturedWhen glideslope was one dot aboveFlapsPressed the APR button to capture the gligeslopeGlideslope capturedGear down/slow downIt was a great flight!I had to mess with the map view to figure where all the waypoints were located ... then it all made more sense. I would have wished for an approach plate. Makes life easier.

Also,On the GPS screenAfter the GPS waypoint FACT in the flight plan.It says, Approach ILS 19That is correct, it just shows that an approach has been selected.When the approach is "activated" the GPS pointer will move down the flight plan listed on the GPS display to sequence the APPROACH to runway 19It will then start executing waypoints (holds etc) to get you set up for the approach and landing.So, what you were seeing is correct.

http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/163610.jpgscott s..