arkvet
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Ok so Im not really sure how to even ask the question(s) but Ill try. Over the last year my panel has seen several incremental upgrades to its current state that I absolutely love. Ive in the middle of IFR training and am spending a lot of time trying to master the sequence of buttonology involved with keeping the AP (century 41) happy throughout the approach. Most of my flying has been and will be from non tower to non tower airports so I have been the decision maker when it came to approaches.
My panel consists of an IFD 550 and dual G5s. The g5 HSI provides gpss which is really nice.
So to shoot a practice approach (RNAV) I take off and activate the flight (direct to) select gpss on the G5 the. Proceed to standby while the plane flies the approach. Here is the first question: if the entire approach is gps (RNAV / LPV ) do I ever leave gpss steering or select anything other than hdg mode on the AP ? My thought is no since the entire approach is magenta line based. If I were to switch to approach or Nav mode on the AP Im pretty sure the gpss (even though still on at the G5) would be disconnected as the Gpss only works in heading mode. Is this correct ?
Next question: flying into podunk municipal shooting a Loc approach. The ifd 550 on gpss provided me a beautiful course reversal / procedure turn at the VOR. While inbound on the final approach course I had to manually turn the IFD (upper right knob) to change from gps to VOR / LOC. This turned my g5 HSI CDI from magenta to green. Ok, all is well at this point. Completely the low approach and when applying power for the missed the AP decided a hard right turn (missed was a climbing left) was in order. I was confused... then realized we were still in VOR / loc mode on IFD / G5. So my conclusion (yet to be tested) is that in order to execute a missed approach via gps (gpss) I have to go back to gps mode on the IFD (which will automatically recapture gpss from the g5.
Next: flying into controlled class Delta expecting the ILS. I had the approach loaded in the IFD. I was receiving vectors to the localizer (way too damn close and high btw!) The IFD was in gps to Loc mode (not yet on final approach course) but I had obviously turned gpss off and was using the G5s simple heading mode. Heres where things went south. In a case of mini helmet fire I blew right through the localizer trying to get the heading bug turned to the runway heading at the right time. Because of the tight vectoring this immediately caused a missed approach. I was so dang flustered. Kicked off the AP and hand flew the missed. Im trying to rethink the sequence and figure out the correct way to go through this hdg mode vector to ILS capture process when its coming at me fast. I think the IFD 550 automatically made the switch to loc mode but I screwed up by not getting out of the heading mode in time.
Whew. What Can I say. It was one hell of a learning day!!! The flight was 2.5 hours (2.4 of which was in actual IMC). Shot 3 approaches (well 4 if you count the one ILS I had to come around for again). 3/4 of the approaches were literally within 100 of minimums!
I absolutely LOVE instrument flying and badly want to get down the sequencing of these things. Please know that I am fully aware that hand flying the plane through all of these approaches is an acceptable alternative. Yeah I get that of course. Thats not the point of these questions. The intent of yesterdays lesson was to fly those approaches as deep as possible with AP guidance.
If anyone can offer some suggestions regarding the sequencing of these approaches / missed approaches that would be great. Im ready to get back out there in CAVU conditions and put it back to the test but would like to be mentally prepared beforehand.
Sorry for the long post. I hope all that makes sense.
My panel consists of an IFD 550 and dual G5s. The g5 HSI provides gpss which is really nice.
So to shoot a practice approach (RNAV) I take off and activate the flight (direct to) select gpss on the G5 the. Proceed to standby while the plane flies the approach. Here is the first question: if the entire approach is gps (RNAV / LPV ) do I ever leave gpss steering or select anything other than hdg mode on the AP ? My thought is no since the entire approach is magenta line based. If I were to switch to approach or Nav mode on the AP Im pretty sure the gpss (even though still on at the G5) would be disconnected as the Gpss only works in heading mode. Is this correct ?
Next question: flying into podunk municipal shooting a Loc approach. The ifd 550 on gpss provided me a beautiful course reversal / procedure turn at the VOR. While inbound on the final approach course I had to manually turn the IFD (upper right knob) to change from gps to VOR / LOC. This turned my g5 HSI CDI from magenta to green. Ok, all is well at this point. Completely the low approach and when applying power for the missed the AP decided a hard right turn (missed was a climbing left) was in order. I was confused... then realized we were still in VOR / loc mode on IFD / G5. So my conclusion (yet to be tested) is that in order to execute a missed approach via gps (gpss) I have to go back to gps mode on the IFD (which will automatically recapture gpss from the g5.
Next: flying into controlled class Delta expecting the ILS. I had the approach loaded in the IFD. I was receiving vectors to the localizer (way too damn close and high btw!) The IFD was in gps to Loc mode (not yet on final approach course) but I had obviously turned gpss off and was using the G5s simple heading mode. Heres where things went south. In a case of mini helmet fire I blew right through the localizer trying to get the heading bug turned to the runway heading at the right time. Because of the tight vectoring this immediately caused a missed approach. I was so dang flustered. Kicked off the AP and hand flew the missed. Im trying to rethink the sequence and figure out the correct way to go through this hdg mode vector to ILS capture process when its coming at me fast. I think the IFD 550 automatically made the switch to loc mode but I screwed up by not getting out of the heading mode in time.
Whew. What Can I say. It was one hell of a learning day!!! The flight was 2.5 hours (2.4 of which was in actual IMC). Shot 3 approaches (well 4 if you count the one ILS I had to come around for again). 3/4 of the approaches were literally within 100 of minimums!
I absolutely LOVE instrument flying and badly want to get down the sequencing of these things. Please know that I am fully aware that hand flying the plane through all of these approaches is an acceptable alternative. Yeah I get that of course. Thats not the point of these questions. The intent of yesterdays lesson was to fly those approaches as deep as possible with AP guidance.
If anyone can offer some suggestions regarding the sequencing of these approaches / missed approaches that would be great. Im ready to get back out there in CAVU conditions and put it back to the test but would like to be mentally prepared beforehand.
Sorry for the long post. I hope all that makes sense.
