Flew the black magic today. Man oh man it is great to have an auto pilot. I last flew this aircraft 3 years ago almost to the day and include a before and after photo.
A question to the guru’s if I may. When Flying a GNSS approach, example, the Lydd 03 GNSS approach, is it correct that you have to load the way point RIGBO, GOKAT and PEVOL as waypoints in your flightplan and the GPS does not see them as part of the procedure or am I missing something? In addition to this, does the approach become active automatically if loaded into the flight plan? It seemed the case as the “activate approach” icon was greyed out. I thought you only activated the approach once cleared to fly the approach? What about the missed approached? That icon was not greyed out so does the GPS not switch automatically to the missed approach? Seems a bit of a mission if being bounced around trying to activate this while trying to fly the missed approach?
The one thing I don’t like is the touch screen. It proved a bit of a pain in turbulence. I kept hitting buttons I did not want to hit.
Thanks in advance. 
Hi Bloomer,
I’ve got GTN750 and Aspen 1000 Pro in my A36, so I might be able to help.
Bloomer wrote:
When Flying a GNSS approach, example, the Lydd 03 GNSS approach, is it correct that you have to load the way point RIGBO, GOKAT and PEVOL as waypoints in your flightplan and the GPS does not see them as part of the procedure or am I missing something?
(Best practice is to avoid Vectors to Final in case ATC send you to a waypoint that now isn’t in your flightplan.)
If you were coming from the West, you’d:
1. Select the GPS03 approach
2. Select the RIGBO transition
3. Load the approach
The approach will be loaded into your flight plan after your destination.
In addition to this, does the approach become active automatically if loaded into the flight plan?
No. You don’t actually have to activate the approach, but you do need to activate the correct leg. So if ATC cleared you for the GPS03 via RIGBO, you could select RIGBO in the flight plan and select “Activate leg” or simply go DCT RIGBO and it will all happen. Check the 750 CDI is GPS and the Aspen source select is GPS1. Next, when the FAF becomes the active waypoint, check the approach annunciation at the bottom of the 750. In this case it will be “LNAV+V” meaning vertical advisory guidance will be available (a fake but flyable glideslope). If you tried it at Exeter or Bristol it would be “LPV”. The only other thing to do is arm APP on your autopilot so that it captures the glideslope.
What about the missed approached? That icon was not greyed out so does the GPS not switch automatically to the missed approach? Seems a bit of a mission if being bounced around trying to activate this while trying to fly the missed approach?
As you pass the Missed Approach Point the 750 will automatically go into SUSPEND mode and it will invite you to “Remain Suspended” or “Activate GPS Missed Approach”. Once you’re safely climbing away and cleaned up, reach over and touch “Activate GPS Missed Approach” and it will fly it for you. Easy.
Garmin produce a free Windows PC GTN750 emulator which you might find useful, and a paid iPad app as well. This document might be useful as well.
The one thing I don’t like is the touch screen. It proved a bit of a pain in turbulence. I kept hitting buttons I did not want to hit.
There are ridges on the sides of the 750 so you can steady your hand in turbulence. I’ve had a Comm 1 Frequency Transfer button installed on my yoke so I can tap a button to flip-flop Comm 1.
Shameless plug: I’ve just renewed my FI so I could fly with you if you’re in my area (Fairoaks). We could call it EFIS differences training!
Hope this helps!
Thanks Chris, most useful and I will print this and digest. I will PM you at some point to see if we can align diaries. Happy to come to Fairoaks. It would be useful to get the button pressing sequence sorted and understood in my head before flying an approach in “anger”. Hope to do a trip to Ireland next month so would like to be a bit more comfortable with the IFR side of the kit.
Many thanks.
Nice registration : G-AWeSoMe
Bloomer wrote:
I will PM you at some point to see if we can align diaries.
Cool. I’m part time with the airline so lots of time to play!
A flightplan is made up in segments, the route segment, the departure segment, the arrival segment, and the approach segment. Most pilots only use the route segment and the approach segment. The route segment includes the departure airport, the detail of the route, and ending at the destination airport. When an approach is loaded, it appears as a flightplan segment after the route segment (or arrival segment if one is loaded). The airport is the last waypoint in the route segment and the IAF is usually the first waypoint in the approach segment. The approach segment contains the route from a transition fix or IAF to the IF, the FAF, the MAP and the missed approach route to the missed approach hold. Activating the approach is the same as a direct-to the first waypoint in the approach segment. If you don’t understand this, you can get yourself messed up. For example you select direct to the IF and then activate the approach and wonder why the GPS is taking you back to the IAF which turns out to be the first fix in the approach segment.
What happens if you are following the guidance in the route segment and have loaded the approach. The GPS will sequence thru all of the waypoints in the route, all the way to the destination airport, it will then continue sequencing at the first waypoint in the approach segment. There is no need to “Activate the approach” to get the approach to sequence properly. Typically one is flying the route to the airport which is also the last waypoint in the route segment. Assuming that the approach has been loaded and VTF has not been selected. As you near the airport, the controller clears you to one of the fixes on the approach. All you need to do is to tap the waypoint within the approach segment and press direct-to and you are on your way to join the approach at the selected fix. If you prefer or are cleared to join the approach on a specific leg of the approach such as the final approach course, just tap the waypoint at the end of the leg and select activate the leg. You can activate any leg including the leg that ends at the FAF, but you are blocked from going direct to the FAF. You can navigate direct to any waypoint on the approach to join the approach with the exception of the FAF.
Activating the approach is the same as a direct-to the first waypoint in the approach segment. If you don’t understand this, you can get yourself messed up
Interesting… On the KLN94 I do that DCT to the desired IAF manually. I have never tried just loading the approach (which asks if you want to insert it into your route) and leaving it like that, but I believe it works.
Doesn’t the GTN do the same?
The GPS will sequence thru all of the waypoints in the route, all the way to the destination airport, it will then continue sequencing at the first waypoint in the approach segment.
That suggests that it flies to overhead the airport and then flies the IAP.
Peter wrote:
That suggests that it flies to overhead the airport and then flies the IAP.
Which is why you should delete the destination airport if it appears before the IAP.
That seems dumb. I wonder what their thinking was?
Logically, if one is inserting an IAP into a flight plan, the box should replace the airport with the IAP. And, if even half clever, it should offer to delete any waypoints which lie closer to the airport than the selected IAF (normally there won’t be any such waypoints, but there might be).
No need to delete the destination. It remains in the flight plan so you can load a different approach, look up freqs, other plates etc. Just go DCT to fix on approach and leave DEST in the plan.
