Aviation questions

Hi @RedbrickTag7789

The pulse lights are designed to alert anyone on the runway that the aircraft is about to take-off or land. A pulsing light draws more attention than a steady light.

This is most often used on uncontrolled airports or airports in remote areas where people, dogs, dear or birds often are present on the runway.

In darkness and in low visibility it is more common to use the lights in steady because this enhances the visibility for the pilots.

If installed it is pilot’s discretion which type of light to use, there are no specific rules for them.

Just a side note to everyone responding to these posts, if you know the answer to a question, be my guest and answer them. It is great that the community is quite knowledgable!
However if you don’t know for sure and you are just guessing, kindly refrain from posting to keep this post clean. thank you!

Best regards,
Rico

3 Likes

You are using the Virtualcol one? Chuck it in the bin, I flew the 190/195 in real life, its an awful mod and 3rd party dev. You can’t compare it to the real aircraft in any way.

1 Like

So I installed my copy of the PMDG 737 today! Impressive piece of software, I flew a short 40 min sector, a d did find a minor thing or two, but mostly it was realistic throughout.
Let me know if I can assist with any of the normals, supplementary, non-normal procedures or any other sim related questions.

2 Likes

Hello,

can I kindly ask you about b787 heavy division free addon? Really don’t have any problem with RNAV app on other planes but this bird allows me do only ILS app. I’ve asked my question in that addon thread already but no answers about steps, what is needed to set on AP deck f.ex. Hope you put some light to my problem, I expect technical termins without problems. Thnx for possible advice.

upd: i have installed vers 1.14 from github.

Thanks for the kind offer. I have a basic question. I never quite know how to stick a landing. I tend to skip along the runway or hit it too hard.

About the heavy division 787 specific, their forum is probably the best place to ask, I have not yet installed and tried it.

However, on Boeing aircraft there is an option that is installed nowadays on most aircraft, which is called IAN approach mode.

The Abbreviation means Integrated Approach Navigation.

The idea is that even if there is no ILS tuned, but you have either selected an RNAV approach or made something up in the FMC that directs to a final approach, you can arm the approach mode and the aircraft will fly the approach the same way as an ILS.

The FMA (Flight mode Annunciation) will not show LOC and GS (Localiser and Glideslope) but instead FAC and GP (Final approach course and glide path).

Perhaps this is simulated in your 787?

The other, traditional way to fly an RNAV approach is to select the approach from the FMC,

Start the approach in LNAV and VNAV, set the MCP altitude to the minima. (usually around 300ft or so). after you have intercepted the final approach and you are more than 300ft below the missed approach altitude, you can set the missed approach altitude in the MCP.

I hope this helps, thanks for pointing out the freeware 787 mod, I will certainly give it a try!

Kind regards,
Rico

1 Like

Thnx Rico for your perfect explanation!

Very appreciated, will try your sugestions. I like this addon, it shows as stock 787 in sim but it does good job, my favorite free Boeing and no A320 type. Did some flights on Vatsim without problem but had this issue but solved with vor/dme app. Thnx.

1 Like

Hi @IdealTiger78527

I think you refer to landing the 737-700 in particular? every aircraft is a little bit different, but first of all the key to any good landing is a stabilized approach.

It varies a bit per company, but we have to be stabilized by 1000ft in IMC (instrument) and 500ft in VMC (visual) conditions.

Stabilized means, the aircraft is fully configured with gear and flaps down, the thrust set, in trim and the landing checklist complete.

From this point, in calm weather you should be able to let go of all the controls and the aircraft will fly itself to the runway. Obviously in rough weather you’ll be steering to correct for the turbulence.

Try to keep thrust changes to a minimum because the low engines will not only give you more thrust, but also a pitch up moment when you advance the thrust levers.

If the approach becomes destabilized you should make a go-around and try again.

It is always good practice to use the ILS indications or PAPI lights to help you stay on a 3 degree glide path through out the final approach.

Visual aiming point:
The landing technique is used to ensure main landing gear touchdown at the desired point on the runway. Aim at the desired aiming point, then adjust the final approach glide path until the selected point appears stationary in relation to the airplane. (the point does not move up or down in the pilot view).

Flare and touch down:
When the threshold passes out of sight under the airplane nose, shift the visual sighting point to the far end of the runway.

Initiate the flare when the aircraft is 20ft above the runway by increasing pitch attitude approximately 2-3 degrees.
After the flare is initiated, smoothly reduce the thrust levers to idle and make small attitude corrections to correct the rate of descent.
ideally main gear touch down happens simultaneously with the thrust levers reaching idle.
touchdown speed is approximately Vref.

avoid rapid control column movements during the flare, if the flare is too abrupt and thrust is excessive, the airplane tends to float in ground effect.

do not allow the aircraft to float, fly the airplane to the touchdown point. If you float outside the touchdown zone of the runway (between the white markers) go around and try again.

Do not trim during the flare as it increased the chance of a tailstrike.

The speed brake should be armed, as soon as the wheels touch the ground, the spoilers deploy to prevent the aircraft bouncing back up into the air.

then softly land the nose wheel and apply reverse thrust (idle or full). After reverse is selected you must complete the landing.

The boeing touch down method is designed for a 150 fpm sink rate at touchdown.
This is not a soft landing by any means, but it will ensure the landing performance (required stopping distance) can be made and makes sure that the brakes are effective even on a wet runway.

After you get more experience you can try and make soft landings so the holiday makers will give you an applause :slight_smile:

Good luck! let us know how it goes!
Rico

Thanks, great advice. I will give it a go.

Hello Rico,

if I could report my tests (screenshot included) it looks to me that this version of Heavy mode doesn’t accept RNAV definitelly, it looks to me like that. If you be kind look at screenshot it completelly missing status bar (my rectangle red/black on PFD) about that (white colored???). I did tests on more airports and this is in Bratislava LZIB RNAV rwy31, all set on FMC correctly and simply aircraft do what I’ve reported before, only do lateral control not vertical after APP click. I did same also with LNAV/VNAV and same. Really I don’t have Discord and don’t want use it so hope I’ll find some actual version to this bird somewhere. I did tests also with my Navigraph and def sim NAV DB but same :slight_smile: Thnx for your kind help and if you have taste no problem with other talks about this. Hope I did not simple mistake, really don’t understand. Thnx again.

I have now installed the 787 mod and indeed the VNAV mode is not yet fully functional.

during descent you can see the VNAV page in the FMC, there is no E/D calculation, also in menu on the MFD, the VSD is inhibited.

Perhaps in a later update :slight_smile:

1 Like

Thnx for your test!

I’ll try maybe find some where else new version or will search for some more infos.

heh,

stock B787 working with RNAV correctly. I don’t know, they must have some secret there why this not working, also all are silent and only say search and search, don’t forget go to Discord. What they want from me??? :slight_smile: All FMC functions are fine in their version, it flies ILS ok. I don’t know… Apologize for my messages here in your very fine topic for help to any one.

Hello Rico,
I have a question regarding the ILS off-set from RCL that you may find in some airports.
There are a few thread here in the forum with this subject where it is explained why in certain airports the off-set is made on pourpose.I refer to the airport LIMJ where there is an off-set of 1,52° from RCL.
I did many landings there with the Asobo A320 and ,because of that, at about 5 NM I disengage the AP than I land manually keeping in the glide slope with the help of the vertical diamond.No problems of doing that with good visibiliy.But ,how would you manage to land in case of bad storm or fog that limit your visibility at less than ,lets say ,1000 ft or even 2000 ft? How can you assure to be aligned with the centerline? Is there a “procedure” tha IRL pilot must follow? My guess is that ,in these cases ,the ATC won’t give you the clearance to land.
Please help!!
Cheers

There is the Concept of MINIMUMS. If you cannot see the runway at a minimum altitude, then you cannot land.

If you want a FUN (Challenging) LDA, try the LDA19 into KDCA

The 1st few times, I strongly recommend you lean to fly it in Good weather !@!@
Make sure you land on 19, and NOT the runway that appear straight ahead of you on the LDA !!

DCA_IAP_LDA Z RWY 19.PDF

I understand the concept of MINIMUMS. However, if I am approaching the runway and I see it,still being above the minimums on the safe side, it might be impossible to veer to the centerline on time to land an airbus.Not a problem with a Cessna 172. Unless you want to tray it as a challange…I wonder how the passengers will think about it.LOL
I will try your challenge to land into KDCA. Would it be possible with the A320 or have you any suggestions?
Thanks.

I fly on LIMJ Genoa with the 737-800, the minima there are 890ft with an offset of 1 deg and a glide slope angle of 3.17 deg. It’s almost a straight in, but because of the offset an autoland is not possible. You can fly the approach on the ILS coupled autopilot until visual and from there you must be on the extended centreline by 300ft above the runway.

Very clear. I have just ended a flight from LIRQ (Florence Peretola) to LIMJ ,just to practice, I did the approach on the ILS as usual but went to manual far before the minima of 890ft to make sure to be on the extended centreline …on time.I will repeat it considering the 890ft to see what happens.
Thanks a lot.

The actual FLYING part into KDCA and its LDA is just the tip of the Iceberg as part as being able to fly into KDCA.

I believe KDCA will accept aircraft up to the size of a 757, and of course, the normal ILS 01 is far more straight forward than the LDAs into 19 !!

In the sim, the River Visual approach to 19 is a fun experience.
(try to resist GAMING it up, (or not) and flying under all the bridges !! )

1 Like

I will try this landing soon!
Thanks