yesterday I flew from Dublin EIDW to Gatwick EGKK.
On approach I discoveredd an issue that the Boeing would not show the vertical glideslope indicator. The longitudinal one is shown on the HDI as the well known magenta rhombus.
The vertical one did not show up although I was on the right entry height to catch it. This happened to me several times before at other airports.
The 737 catches the longitudinal glideslope, but the vertical won’t be caught.
The problem is, that the Boeing 737-800 holds the altitude (at Gatwick it is 3000ft) and never starts descending. Activating the “Approach” button only makes the Boeing to fly over the runway.
My question: is it possible, that the 737 catches the G/S only in the longitudinal way? How can this problem be avoided?
I’ve never had an issue. What angle and approach speed are you trying to intercept it with? Usually you fly lower than g/s, engage APP mode, capture Localiser then capture glide slope. Works just about every time for me.
What approach speed are you doing it at? I’d say 180-200 region. Dont engage APP until loc chevron starts to move toward centre, engage it and it will always capture loc. Then slow down to 180-190 ish and wait for g /s to intercept and lock.
Don’t wait for AP/AT to slow aircraft down. I usually do manual speed adjusts (Speed intervention button, but with AT still engaged) before final to slow aircraft down to say 200-210 just before lining up for loc capture, and continue with manual speed adjustments down to VREF or before if you switch to manual throttle by this stage.
You should also have previously set your descent winds forecast up in the DES page for winds, and set your VREF indicators in the INIT->index->approach section of FMC for your desired landing flaps (say 147 at flaps 30 etc), but I don’t think either of these should gate g/s capture.
You can also autoland with ILS frequ set in both pilot and copilot side(NAV1+NAV2) and both autopilots engaged.
Thank you for your help!
I think I know what happened. It did not happen because of speed, but I was too high on altitude and flew over the glideslope entry point.
Yesterday I approached DUS and the same thing happened. No vertical ILS indicator diamond. But I paid attention to the HDI and saw the vertical diamond disappear down out of the instrument.
I already set the MCP altitude 300 fts below the ILS entry height, but the Boeing missed the vertical ILS indicator anyway.
So, how do I setup the Boeing not to miss the vertical glideslope diamond? Am I to activate LOC earlier than I do to be on course earlier? Or can I program the Boeing in the CDU to
Can someone explain in a few words what the difference between the white and the magenta ILS diamond is?
What signal do I get when the Boeing 737 caught the localiser?
Are you using VNAV for descent/approach? If you are, hitting APPR too early before receiving the ILS signal may cause you to be in a non precision approach mode where it follows the VNAV FMS calculated non precision glidepath (G/P) down to the runway. It would say G/P in the FMA (top part of PFD) rather than G/S for glideslope (and LOC for localiser). APPR should only be engaged when you receive both LOC and G/S signals. If you only receive localiser signal then use VOR/LOC first until g/s signal appears.
Maybe that is what you are seeing?
We would need to see pictures of your FMA to be sure which mode you are in. White diamonds probably mean you are picking up the tuned ils signal, but you are not in the LOC or APPR mode to use them, so you would still be in LNAV/VNAV and or in the mode where you are following the glidepath G/P (not glideslope G/S) instead.
I’d try waiting for white diamonds to appear before arming either LOC or APPR.
When I follow a flightplan I usually let LNAV and VNAV to get me lined up and at correct approach chart altitude for intercepting ILS. I usually wait for the diamonds to turn pink before arming APPR, so say 10-15 miles out.
Probably the easiest way to grasp this is, search for " ils glide slope " videos, in your favorite search engine. Somtimes it’s easier to grasp when you see it in pictures/video.
Guys, I think I solved the problem. In the pmdg settings there is an option labled: Allow G/S before LOC.
After I enabled this option the problem was solved.
THANK YOU!! I don’t know how that got turned off, but I was having the same problem. I know it’s a year and half later, but I am just starting to use MSFS and PMDG aircraft after two decades of using FSX and then P3D. I was a beta tester for MSFS 2020 but it was so screwed up, I didn’t start using it until the last two months. Thanks again.