ILS/GPS/EEK help

Subliminal

Hi, im just about ready to pull my hair out!

Ive gone through the tutorial missions in fsx, and *Some" of the pilot lessons, i dont like the lessons, as im learning new things and trying to fly also, gets annoying.. Anyway, i have the basics, i can take off, land, and navigate a little using gps, im sticking to the cessna 172 ( i think ) and the 737 here..

So i want to take off at one airport, and fly a bit, and land at designated airport, but i cant do it!!:mad:

Lets say Casement AB to Dublin ITL.. i go to my gps, do top arrow right, and enter my designated airport ( EIDW ) look for an ILS runway, get the frequency, lob it into N1, then i click proc, put in EIDW->ILS Runay->Vectors.
Then hit load.

So on ap, i have speed ctrl, alt hold, and nav ( With nav/gps set to GPS )

Now after i take off, gear up etc, i hit ap on, and plane sure enough turns to gps course to airport, heres where my problem starts.

From youtube vids, im supposed to activte NAV1 Switch nav/gps to nav, and click app hold, and in gps, acivate vectors. In the video, the plane heads for a course to lead to final approach, catches the glideslope, turns off alt hold, and desends. BUT, when i do it, the plane heads for the paths, but on the last one just goes 180 the wrong way...it doesnt turn as such, just seems to hit the waypoint going the wrong way. what am i doing wrong?

I just want to do a real flight except land myself if that makes any sense. i would be very gratefull for an eplanation as im about ready to give up.

pclancy

I never use the GPS to actually fly approaches, only to get me to a waypoint where I know i'll be able to intercept the glideslope. I arrive at that waypoint with NAV/GPS set to NAV, Nav1 tuned to the ILS and the autopilot in ALT and HDG modes with APP armed. If the intercept angle is within a decent enough range it will lock on and fly down the glideslope.

Subliminal

pclancy wrote: »

and the autopilot in ALT and HDG modes with APP armed.

Im a complete noob here, so this may be a stupid question, but dont you need to have a heading keyed in before HDG is of use?

As i say, i can get to the airport, but i have NEVER been able to intercept a glide path, after the last waypoint, the gps indicated theres no more, and continues flying a strieght line past the last waypoint, in the wrong direction.

Ive tried 10 flights from Baldonnal to Dublin, and no matter what i do, the plane does circles over the runway, reaches last wp, then just..well..keeps going.

FlutterinBantam

I don't really understand your problem, but if flying out of Baldonnell head east
to cross the coast south of Dublin, then if 028 is your rwy turn north and intercept the ils around Howth.

What's so hard about that??:D

remember always intercept the ils beam from below.

pclancy

Yes you must have a heading keyed in. If its set to use HDG and ALT it then swtiches to APP itself once it can pickup the glideslope.

Try this...fly to about 15 miles away from the airport with NAV1 tuned to the ILS frequency. Have the autopilot set to maybe 3000ft and a heading set to intercept the imaginary ILS beam at a slight angle. So if the runway is at heading 280 for example and you're coming up from the south, set your heading to 320 and you'll intercept it at a nice angle. If you have APP, HDG and ALT selected and NAV/GPS is set to NAV it should intercept the glideslope and begin turning/descending towards the airport...you shoulnt need to use the GPS at all.

You could also create a flight between say Belfast and Dublin and FSX's ATC will vector you to join the ILS at the correct place/height. You'll have to have the right frequencies and autopilot settings as above but at least you'll end up positioned properly to fly the approach.

Here's a guide I just found that might be of help...its old but good: http://flyawaysimulation.com/postt8080.html

Subliminal

Thanks pclancy!!

As soon as i saw your last post, i facepalmed and realised what i was doing wrong ( Or NOT what i was doing )

Im not going to disclose my idiocy, but ive tried since, and it works..well that leads to my question..

Belfast to Dublin flight ils:

When i recieve my last heading,and final landing clearence, and im nearing approach, i switch to NAV, hit APP hold, NAV, and ALT on the autopilot, and sure enough the plane hits the glideslope, but seems to be a little right of the runway. also seems to decsend too quick before i even get to DH, any ideas what im doing wrong? I get the runway heading from clicking on the runway on the map.

FlutterinBantam

Might be your speed, you need to come in at the correct approach speed to hold the ILS course

highlydebased

Subliminal wrote: »

Thanks pclancy!!

As soon as i saw your last post, i facepalmed and realised what i was doing wrong ( Or NOT what i was doing )

Im not going to disclose my idiocy, but ive tried since, and it works..well that leads to my question..

Belfast to Dublin flight ils:

When i recieve my last heading,and final landing clearence, and im nearing approach, i switch to NAV, hit APP hold, NAV, and ALT on the autopilot, and sure enough the plane hits the glideslope, but seems to be a little right of the runway. also seems to decsend too quick before i even get to DH, any ideas what im doing wrong? I get the runway heading from clicking on the runway on the map.

well firstly you only need to engage one mode on the autopilot for approach, and thats APP. Alt hold will (or should) prevent it from descending on the glide. Ensure you have the correct course set also for the ILS.

Subliminal

From my expeerience. ALT disengages automaticly when you intercept the glide path, leaving just APP anyway.

Twice the plane has gotten halfway from glide slop intercept to runay has just dived, and twice has stalled.

I will try adjust speed more frequently past the intercept, but i cant see that helping if the plane is trying to land a good distance before the runway.

FlutterinBantam

Presume you are deploying flaps and stuff?

Suggest knock off auto throttle and hold the a/c on the glide slope.

What a/c are you using and what speeds are you attaining.

pclancy

Yep ALT and HDG will disengage once it detects both axis of th glideslope. You must be below the glideslope to intercept it correctly.