Menu Sign In Contact FAQ
Banner
Welcome to our forums

Non-precision approach - pitch control

boscomantico wrote:

I can’t believe all examiners are that stubborn.

Of course they are not. Many of them are very down-to-earth people who fly themselves and know what really matters. But since we don’t know which examiner will do the test, we have to stay on the safe side… You won’t be failed in any test for starting your descent a little bit before the FAF. But if a candidate has more than one weak spot (they all have – me included on my three checkrides every year…) it is better to keep it safe where that is easy. Start descending after passing the FAF, initially with a slightly higher ROD (700 or 800 ft/min) and bring it back to 500 once established on the profile. No one can fail you for that.

EDDS - Stuttgart

what_next wrote:

Let us know how it works! Something that is usually not taught in the course: Don’t wait until the descent point to change from altitude hold to pitch down (or vertical speed), otherwise you will always be high on the “glideslope”. Start descending 0.3 or 0.2 NM before reaching the final approach fix so that you have your 500 ft/min (or whatever results from your ground speed) when passing the fix. We can’t teach that because on the exam, descending before the FAF is not allowed. But in real life it works much more smoothly…

According to PANS-OPS, the published FAF should be 50 ft below the nominal glidepath precisely to avoid an overshoot. For a 3° glidepath, that will be 0.16 NM before the descent point.

ESKC (Uppsala/Sundbro), Sweden

just as one starts down when the ILS glidesope indication is “one dot high”

One dot low?

Spending too long online
EGTF Fairoaks, EGLL Heathrow, United Kingdom

chrisparker wrote:

One dot low?

No, one dot high. Though personally I drop the gear at one dot high and allow the descent to start on the slope, it works out fine.

Similarly with a 2D approach. Gear at 0.2nm, descent at the precise FAF.

By the way, I have had produced some CDFA bugs. You stick them with Velcro into the middle of the steam altimeter, with the arrow on the elevation, and they give you an indication of where the big needle needs to be at each nm. I am giving them out to PPL/IR members to beta test. If anyone wants to have a play, I am happy to send one in a SAE.

EGKB Biggin Hill

No, one dot high. Though personally I drop the gear at one dot high and allow the descent to start on the slope, it works out fine.

Are you joining the GS from above?

I think we’re muddling terms. If you’re on approach and get below the GS, would you say you are “one dot low” or “one dot high”?

Spending too long online
EGTF Fairoaks, EGLL Heathrow, United Kingdom

Yes, we are muddling terms. Clearly the GS is higher than you are. Call it what you will

EGKB Biggin Hill

The glideslope is one dot ABOVE you when you start intercepting it, so “high” is correct.

Last Edited by at 18 Apr 14:32

Hi friends, thanks for all helps to get vertical control during non precision approach.
Equiped GNS 530, KAP 150 and SN 3308
I tried it again and again 3 Grad angle glide path to a special waypoint direct
on the runway with appropriate ground speed.
GNS 530 set on OBS course and AP without altitude then press rocker for descent
1 second 100 feet and three times for 300 feet. It was not possible to get a sure method of descent rate.
In conclusion I think it is better to fly this by hand.
Thomas

Berlin, Germany

Yes; if you could hold a constant GS – one thread here – then you could use a VS mode of an autopilot to fly a “glideslope”; otherwise a periodic adjustment is needed.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom
19 Posts
Sign in to add your message

Back to Top