Flying the PC12 NGX on a PC. Assuming an RNAV approach is properly loaded and I’m at the right altitude and VNAV is on, do I need to click the APR button (after reaching TOD) to activate the descent or will VNAV automatically activate the RNAV descent? Thanks
You should enable APR after you’ve passed the Intermediate Approach Fix (if there is one between the Initial and Final Approach Fixes), otherwise before you arrive at the FAF but after passing the Initial.
Thanks for your reply. Let’s say there is no intermediate fix - just the IAF and the FAF. The TOD is between the IAF and the FAF. Should I press the APR button before or after the TOD?
I arm APR shortly after the IAF, to avoid switchology errors at the FAF.
Thanks. I’ll try that to see if I get a better result and can actually activate APR. Another question. I just flew a mission in the PC12 where I didn’t try to activate the APR. VNAV is active with altitude set to zero - I’ve caught the glide slope and the plane is descending. I’m manually working the throttle to reach 90-95 speed at the threshold. (With full flaps). In this situation, when I reach the threshold, I’m consistently 100 to 150 feet above the runway and barely descending. I have to nose dive (stick forward) to get down to the ground before running out of runway. Any idea why this happens and any suggestions to correct or compensate. This really complicates short and even medium length runway landings.
I’m not sure that the Epic 2 + AP will bring you down to the runway. Most SOPs have you disconnect at 400’ or whatever the Minimum Decision Height/Altitude is for the approach and handfly down. At that point I’d either follow the Flight Director prompts which should still be giving you a 300-400’ fpm descent rate or adjust your pitch accordingly to get that rate.