Confusion as to how to fly these Simbrief assigned approaches?

Sometimes when I create a flight in Simbrief it will give me an approach like this where I have to fly directly over the airport and then directly back, all in a straight line (in an A320…). How am I meant to fly these approaches ? I’ve also seen them at LaGuardia airport and not had a clue what to do.

In this above example I can add in the ANN transition via Navigraph which sorts it out into a proper looking approach but the ANN transition is not available within the Fenix A320 FMC… just the direct approach.

What is the solution or correct procedure for dealing with this situation. Any help is appreciated !

1 Like

Maybe change the title to mention Simbrief, you might get more responses.

The map view of the Navigraph charts app is beneficial to get more situational awareness and track your route, but it’s not always a substitute for an actual chart view.

There can be many different reasons why they look weird, it’s mostly worth troubleshooting by looking at the actual chart.

It’s also worth noting that Simbrief doesn’t assign you an approach, but an arrival.


For this example, you can see that the ANN transition is the most valid option, which you can fly without inputting it into your MCDU.

3 Likes

When you say fly without putting it into the FMC do you mean manually fly to it ? and then manually fly to ZIKMU where I can enable auto pilot again for the final approach ? Sorry if these are stupid questions, im still very new to flight sims and don’t understand a lot of correct procedures etc

It’s absolutely fine!

Yes that’s exactly what I mean. :slight_smile: You need to know how to do VOR navigation though, but that is not hard to learn for this task.

Tune to the Annette Island VOR station (ANN) on 117.1. Follow that, and then fly outbound on a course of 028 degrees, at 4500ft. Engage APPR mode, and if you wanna be a bit fancy – turn a bit towards the airport (maybe about 20 degrees left) for a smoother intercept. :slight_smile:

There are some Youtube tutorials available on VOR navigation in the A320, you should watch those!

1 Like

When the approach sends you outbound from the initial approach fix, it will typically include either a procedure turn or a hold in lieu of a procedure turn to accomplish a safe course reversal to the inbound heading. Look up “procedure turn”. Here is an article that explains some of the nuances: Procedure Turn Basics - IFR Magazine.

1 Like

I did notice that too actually, but given it’s an RNP approach, I would believe that it’s meant to engage after established on the 028 radial outbound ANN, then let the plane do its thing. Do you mean that the hold here indicates a mandatory procedure turn? I thought that would have to be written as a restriction or note in such cases.

Thanks again, I will check out the videos on VOR in A320, I understand the concept and can use it in general aviation planes so shouldn’t be too hard I imagine.

I could also just do a ‘direct to’ ANN via the FMC and then link that to ZIKMU correct ?

Which method would be used in real life ? the manual VOR navigation ? The bonus I can see from using the FMC method is I don’t have to worry about manually managing my descent rate as the VNAV will just readjust itself automatically if I add in ANN on the FMC. If I don’t do that then id have to manually manage my drop in altitude and id probably balls that up knowing me !

No, on that particular approach there is no course reversal, so the hold is just a published hold that isn’t part of the approach.

Yep, that’s what I reckoned too!

Sidenote, interesting that an AFIS airport with pilot-controlled lighting has WAAS and LPV capability. :stuck_out_tongue: Gotta love Alaska!

Moved to #self-service:atc-traffic-navaids

I think you need fly that racetrack over ZIKMU,

it’s part of app and ZIKMU is IAF so that racetrack also defines safe entry to IAF and continue app. It’s RNAV app so it’s expected that atc can give better vector to IAF but after ANN to ZIKMU i don’t see quite short time to go down quickly and also turning left to FAF, here i expect turn right like tear drop and turn right to ZIKMU, simply as racetrack is defined. All depends from what heading you approach ZIKMU.

If you get a silly route like that then change it. Look at the charts and figure out the most logical way to get onto an approach. Simbrief screws this up sometimes and that doesn’t mean they are right.