Hi everyone, I’m hoping someone can assist me in figuring out what’s going wrong or correcting my user error (which is more than likely the case). Up until recently, I had no issues setting up the FMS for a visual landing, and then using the APPR function to bring the plane down, however for the last couple of weeks (I think), nothing I do will engage the APPR function on a visual landing. I’ve selected the runway I want to land on, chosen “Straight” and hit “send” so it uploads to the FMS. The Nav and VNAV are set and everything works great, right up until the moment I go to turn on APPR. Unless I’m set up for ILS or RNAV, the APPR function will not go on (green light doesn’t go on, and the systems don’t show that the A/P is looking for the glideslope), and the purple line and triangle turn white or green. Absolutely nothing I do seems to engage the APPR function on a visual landing. Am I doing something wrong all of a sudden? Any help would be much appreciated! Thank you!
What I do is edit the RW## entry on the flight plan after inserting my designated runway (click it, select Course) and check “Altitude” and “At” options, then save that and Activate the update flight plan. That way, VNAV will fly that “approach” but you will still not be able to activate Approach mode and it’s only as accurate as the in-game GPS data for that runway (iffy to sketchy) but it will get you on a nice 3 degree approach slope and you’ll have to decide when to disengage the autopilot and take over. I haven’t found any sources to say what the real PC-24 can do as far as GPS/visual approaches but would be curious how realistic it currently is.
Since FMS speed values are all messed up and the stall speeds in the PC-24 are wrong I recommend sticking to Manual mode for that and just dial it down yourself as you descend/approach.
Hope that helps.
IRL, the standard version of the Primus Apex system does not have the capability to fly visual approaches on autopilot. However, there is an optional module (APM) that can be added to the system.
This provides a dialog box that can be accessed via various menu items and in which the necessary parameters for defining a visual approach can be entered.
However, I doubt that this option has been implemented by WT. I have not tried it myself.
Thank you both, but I’m still confused.
The “APPR” function was working normally up until recently. Are you guys saying that it has stopped working for you to, or in other words, did something happen and it’s been malfunctioning for everyone?
@DarkStarQQ, sure I could do that, but it seems to defeat the purpose of having an “APPR” function. I don’t mind manually controlling the speed of the plane, that isn’t an issue. Landing the plan visually in a low crosswind is fine, but when it’s blowing 15 knots+, it becomes very difficult to stay lined up, especailly in a smaller plane.
@WaiseBesen9926, thanks for this. Not sure adding a third party feature is a solution, but I appreciate you sharing.
I’m just trying to figure out if I’m doing something wrong, or if the feature is malfunctioning for everyone.
Additionally, if anyone is having success in making it work, would you be kind enough to list the steps you take to enable it?
Thanks!
Well, I was talking about the real aircraft. The APM I mentioned is not a third party feature, but an option that you can choose when you order the PC-24 from Pilatus.
So that I understand you correctly: Are you saying that the APPR mode really worked until recently, i.e. that the green light actually came on and the APPR mode of the autopilot actually took over the lateral and vertical control during the approach? Or was it just that the autopilot was still in NAV and VNAV mode and therefore the course and glide path to the runway was maintained by these two modes?
Ahh, well, the day I can order an actual PC-24, I’ll be sure to add the feature haha.
As for the second part of your post, that’s correct, up until recently, APPR could be fully engaged (green light went on) for a visual approach and the A/P would look for, and lock onto the glide slope, therefore controlling vertical and lateral navigation. It was not using VNAV or NAV, those lights would go off and the APPR indicator would stay on.
I have changed nothing in what I do, and now I can’t get it to engage to save my life. It makes landing in a crosswind extremely difficult, and couple that with the manual control of thrust, thoroughly unenjoyable.
I finally found the time for a few test flights: a visual, a VOR/DME and an ILS approach and I found out that the APR mode can only be activated during the ILS approach. For the other two types of approach, the green light in the APR button does not light up, but the NAV mode is deactivated and the autopilot goes into ROLL mode. This means that the aircraft will continue to maintain its previous heading, but will not actively return to course if it is driven off course by crosswinds, for example. If this is real life behaviour, I do not know.
BUT I believe that we are putting the cart before the horse here:
In real life, no one will fly a visual approach the way you could. In the context of approaches the NAV/VNAV mode is used IRL to bring the aircraft down from cruising altitude at a 3° angle to the MDA or in case of a visual approach to the pattern altitude, taking into account all constraints on the path in between. This also works perfectly in the sim by setting the pattern altitude while at cruising altitude and then activating the VNAV mode, as you have done before. The aircraft then automatically goes into descent when TOD is reached.
From the traffic pattern, however, the visual approach is always flown manually and never in APR mode (unless you have installed the option I was talking about). Of course, in preparation for a straight in approach you can also dial in the altitude of the airfield and let the NAV/VNAV mode guide you down to the airfield, but in this case it is not necessary to activate the APR mode and for the last 500 feet or so you would deactivate the autopilot anyway. Then you would have to deal with the crosswind in any case.
So you shouldn’t be disappointed if your previous procedure no longer works as usual, but rather try to train manual approaches with crosswinds. 
I only started 1 month ago but APR mode never worked for me for a Visual approach, only for RNAV/ILS approach in the PC-* planes. Cannot speak to what came before that but my understanding is that the autopilot in the real plane will also not fly the visual approach for you either.