So I’m new to RNAV and have finally nailed my first few full routes. 
 

question though, I’ve seen this done on videos at different times.

When do you active APPR button? Before STAR before final Approach or when?

Also does LOC and EXPED play are part in this or when are they used?

Before crossing the FAF or IAF (MSFS sometimes has bugs with the IAF depending on the approach). LOC(alizer) has nothing to do with RNAV. Non precision vs. precision.

FAF IAF ? What is that?

1 hour ago, NZAA said:

FAF IAF ? What is that?

IAF:  Initial Approach Fix
FAF:  Final Approach Fix

I believe normally, you'd activate APPR mode when you're on the way to the FAF.  In other words, when the FAF is your next waypoint is when you'd activate it.  

Now; in the sim and/or the aircraft it's going to be hit and miss.  It's not all working correctly.  Hopefully soon though.

Edited April 4, 20215 yr by Jeff Nielsen

2 hours ago, Jeff Nielsen said:

IAF:  Initial Approach Fix
FAF:  Final Approach Fix

I believe normally, you'd activate APPR mode when you're on the way to the FAF.  In other words, when the FAF is your next waypoint is when you'd activate it.  

Now; in the sim and/or the aircraft it's going to be hit and miss.  It's not all working correctly.  Hopefully soon though.

So if I was flying STAR RNAV23LS into NZAA and final approach from EMRAG where would I set APPR

Here's the charts

http://www.aip.net.nz/pdf/NZAA_33.17_33.18.pdf

http://www.aip.net.nz/pdf/NZAA_45.1_45.2.pdf

19 minutes ago, NZAA said:

So if I was flying STAR RNAV23LS into NZAA and final approach from EMRAG where would I set APPR

Here's the charts

http://www.aip.net.nz/pdf/NZAA_33.17_33.18.pdf

http://www.aip.net.nz/pdf/NZAA_45.1_45.2.pdf

When you're on the way to FF05R.  

Edit:  Sorry wrong RWY, but same principle. FF23L

Edited April 4, 20215 yr by Jeff Nielsen

4 minutes ago, Jeff Nielsen said:

When you're on the way to FF05R.

Actually if approaching RWY23L wouldn't that be just before FF23L?

In the real airplane, the glideslope indicators come alive as soon as the FAF is the next active waypoint.  At that point, you would push APR on the autopilot.

In MSFS, this is all garbled,,, unfortunately.

28 minutes ago, Baron2829 said:

Actually if approaching RWY23L wouldn't that be just before FF23L?

Yes, read my edit.  It was there before you read it. 🙂 It doesn't matter.  When the FAF is the next waypoint, you arm.

How do you know what the FAF is?

If you fly the TBM with the relevant mods, as you're heading towards the final approach fix, it'll say on the bottom right of the PFD next to the waypoint" "faf", which I assume means final approach fix. 

I've flown dozens of rnav procedures in the sim and never had more than a couple of problems. I activate the appr button as soon as I'm headed to the faf, gp is armed then turns to green. 

Does it work "like in the real thing"? Probably not. Then, again, it's a $70 game, so I'm not crying about it. 

Theoretically you should engage appr once you have intercepted the glideslope, or shortly prior. Of course you should already have been established on final once this occurs.

AppR mode will just tell the f/d to pick up the glideslope for your vertical guidance and this mode should work either with or without the autopilot being on. But until the g/s has been intercepted it's fine to just leave it in nav mode since the localizer will still be tracked regardless of nav or appr mode (both modes track the loc).

Edited April 4, 20215 yr by hangar

6 hours ago, NZAA said:

How do you know what the FAF is?

It's on the RNAV approach chart. For example the IAF here is at DUBBI and the FAF at GEBAY.

 

 

 

On this chart you have 3 different IAF depending on where you are approaching from which all lead to the FAF at OSDUE

Edited April 4, 20215 yr by Phantoms

5 hours ago, NZAA said:

How do you know what the FAF is?

On the charts I use here in the USA the IAF and FAF are labeled.  On the charts you attached above the IAFs are clearly labeled.  The FAFs appear to be identified with a symbol ╬.  Except for the glitches that are still present in MSFS you would routinely engage APPR mode after passing the IAF.