Does anyone have pointers on the best way to fly the PHNL approach to 26L or 26R in a heavy jet (last minute left turn)? I can come pretty close, but it's difficult without a glideslope.

Hey there! Yeah that is a tricky approach! I live in Honolulu And When I see these planes come in it looks awesome!! But it is a VOR DME Approach into the reef Runway 26L. Just half to Fly near the Shorelines of Wakiki and then turn to line up with the runway, if you do it this way it give you at least a litlle time to line up with the Runway! I did this approacha couple times and I am always a little off, but I still have a little time to line up with the Runway! But other than that i don't have the real world way of flying this approacch other than what i hear on my scanner! MIKE-:)

According to the IAP chart there should be flashing lights guiding you to the rwy. Do you see them in the scenery?Stephan

Oh and they oly usually use Runway 26L/26R when the trde winds dissapear and the wind comes from Kaui Area! But yeah i think there supposed to be lights guiding you but I forget if there is any in the Default scenery or not? I will check and let you know! MIKE-:)

Same here, I use the DME Approach for RW26L in HNL. In real life I always see 777's ansd 747's doing it. Its pretty scary with jet flying low over you while you are swimming. :-eek--Dont use the FS2002 ATC for arrivals into HNL RW26L/R, it takes you over the mountains and hills, very creepy. Thats not how they do it ij real life.Just use the shoreline as a guide, and you are on the money!Aloha!

Steve:That approach sort-of reminds me of the Checkerboard approach at old Kai Tak. I usually fly heavies and use runway 4 In FS 2002 just because I like the visuals as you turn downwind and come in over the ocean toward the island. I suppose this happens in real life, reading the other posts here, since locals are apparently seeing 747's and 777's doing this approach. I'll give it a dry! Still, I would treat it like the old Kai Tak plate and make sure I had gear down and locked, full flaps, and airspeed nailed near to appproch speed, before that turn.Alex N562ZMinneapolis

All-Thanks for the input. It sounds like the 26L approach will take lots of touch-and-go's. As a real-life passenger, I've landed on 26L a few times and it does remind me of Kai Tak - another entertaining approach to be sure. But at Kai Tak, you could reach out and take people's laundry off the hook.Aloha...and I'm hoping for trades so I can stick with old reliable 8L.

Steve, You are right, it takes a significant amount of skill and much practice, I'd think. I live in downtown Honolulu and look right down the axis of the reef runway and am amazed when the trades die and Kona winds (southerly/westerly) blow as the heavy jets complete the LDA/DME approach into 26L. Especially a 747 or 777 coming it at night in rainy weather, which we typically get with southerly winds. It must take some significant skill because the autopilot has been turned off for a while by that point. The IAP for 26L shows an LDA/DME approach with a localizer at 109.1 with OBS of 304 deg. At 10.5 DME you should be at 3000 ft, 1500 ft at 5.4 DME and the descending left turn to the runway is executed near the west end of Sand Island at 2.2 DME and 620 feet above the ocean. 600 ft and 2M RVR are listed as minimums to land. I have a tendency in the sim to not bank the aircraft enough at the turn point off the localizer and then need to slew back and forth to get on the centerline, usually end up using half of the 12,000 ft runway just to get the wheels down. When I watch the real heavies do it, they are usually in full landing configuration with flaps and gear by the time you see them abeam Diamond Hd as the localizer takes you right off Waikiki. They seem to crank it over pretty hard on the turn, and the last 20 seconds or so of the approach is in a steady straight descent to the threshold. Wish I could match that in FS. 26R approach takes you more over downtown Honolulu and is usually only used by the inter-island flights (B-732 and B-717 and ATR-42's), not the heavies from the mainland or Asia. This is one of my favorite approaches, for a couple reasons.Chris (PHNL)

I just love looking out my window and watching those heavies come in for 26L!!The interisland planes that come from Maui or Big Island...they use the 8L approach correct?Can someone please explain how that approach is done?I have the chart and i've just started learning how to read approach charts.This approach kinda has me stumped.You have to make a turn from ALANA i think.I always end up overshooting!!One more question.When those planes come in from Asia in the morning what runway do they use if kona winds are in effect?I've never seen one of those planes on the 26L approach.By the way I live by Ala Moana.-Shaun

Well from what i hear on my scanner! if the asia Heavy's come in before the 7:00a.m noise abantment time I think they still use the vectors for 26L with Kona winds, but if it's the regualr tradewinds they come in on Runway 4R!, Usually after 7:00am-7:00p.m they use mostly 8L, but like Fed Ex and UPS can use Runway 4R if it's available! But aftet 7:00p.m most of the Heavies use Runway 4R to keep the noise away from the houses near EWA Beach area.