I also have problems with the PC-24 using APPR mode with a visual or RNAV approaches. It should calculate a pseudo-glidepath (GP) and descend along it using GPS and the barometric altitude. Other planes I have flown do this correctly.
APR is not used with GPS or this was explained to me by a pilot in this forum long time ago. Later I’ve checked that this is true, normally you use APR with ILS approaches. RNAV is a GPS approach and is only valid for LNAV, not for VNAV, you must descent “by hand”.
At least this is how I do it in all planes, from C172 to this very PC-24: if the airport does not have ILS equipment, bad luck, I disconnect the AP at about 1800 ft above the runway and about 5 miles from the airport and do the descent myself. I use GPS on that phase only for guidance. So I create EFB plans that let me at about that distance and altitude.
Exactly!
Every other plane I’ve flown so far creates this, as you call it, pseudo glide path, and the PC-24 did too until just recently.
In the FMS, the descent angle and everything is showing, so why wouldn’t the plane automatically create the glide path, even without a beacon? It used to work, and not it just doesn’t.
I totally get what you’re saying, but look at the comment below, and my response. The plane should create a pseudo glide path…all the other planes I’ve flown so far do it…
I’m not sure I agree with you…in my experience, when the airport has an RNAV approach available, you can turn the NAV1 option on (it’s by the radio buttons off to the left of the AP panel) and then click on APPR and it will handle the descent both vertically and laterally.
I’ve checked the internet and yes, it is possible to follow an automatic glide slope in an RNAV approach but it depends in some parameters: the RNAV procedure must include VNAV information besides the LNAV information; the FMS in the aircraft must be capable to follow an RNAV approach with VNAV (G1000 is capable to do so); and your GNSS system must support SBAS - this is available in most regions.
If this is not a bug, then the only solution is that the Honeywell in the PC-24 does not support RNAV with LNAV. Personally I doubt that those avionics do not support this feature in real life, but it could be.
OK, I think I understand now. I’ve tried to search for information if Honeywell avionics support virtual glide path, and I had mixed results. G1000 does support that, that’s why it generates it when you select approach.
Never the less this is a feature of the avionics, not a rule of thumb Perhaps some more research is required for this and maybe indeed it is a bug that Pilatus planes don’t support it. You can fall back to VNAV/NAV combo to achieve similar results.
Also worth remembering is that virtual glideslope in those devices don’t offer obstacle protection, so if there is a tree in front of the runway (think South America jungle strips) it will happiliy fly into them
Thank you! Please do your best to avoid trees, haha.