Is there a better / faster way of going about approach practice than what I am currently doing?
Currently I’ll pick my approach from the drop down list on the world map and I’ll start airborne just outside of an IAF. Then I’ll slew my airplane to an appropriate altitude, turn on “active pause” and configure myself.
This all works good for one attempt. But for when I want to practice multiple times…having to slew, active pause and configure becomes tedious.
I know I could save the “scenario” I have created…but then I lose the ability to change weather, wind etc because the drop down ribbon is unavailable with saved flights.
Anyone have any suggestions to make things quicker? Or am I doing it about as well as it can currently be done?
I strongly recommend doing it the same way we do it IRL. Take off and fly to the missed approach hold fix. From the fix, fly the procedure, set up on approach. Land. Repeat. This process allows you to properly manage systems and configure the aircraft for the approach, as you fly, rather than an artificial process, configuring in a paused state that will only develop bad habits.
The other advantage with this process is you can practice circuits and visual techniques mixed in with IFR approaches. Promotes better aircraft handling and airmanship. Nothing fills the time like doing some circuits in a 747. Try to keep your circuit inside two miles. This will keep you very busy in the cockpit. As you become more proficient, try to maintain a 1 mile circuit. When you can accomplish that comfortably, you will never fear the , "…circle to land…’ clearance again.
Circuits and bumps at the home field. Fly out to another field or set a DTO to full transition point and load the procedure pointing back to home field. Alternatively, find two fields within a couple of minutes flying time of each other - make one or both uncontrolled so you don’t have to address departures. Keep Live WX and Live Traffic on. Rinse and Repeat.
I hear you. There’s a program for setting up approaches easily in P3D, I forget what it’s called though. I’m with the other guys though, set the weather how you want it, make it SOLID IFR, and practice climbing, turning, actually flying in the soup. Your performance on the approach will be much better since you’ll be “dialed” in as it were, to keeping your scan up. You could take it one step further and hand fly the whole thing. Print out your charts or have them on an external device to reference. It’ll be worth it.