Posts by FL54

    I'd expect that you will have less difficulties with more modern aicraft. The 737 cockpit is really stone age.


    If there are difficulties...just ask :)


    The Airbus philosophy how to operate an aircraft differs a lot from Boeing, so sticking with the 747 or 777 would be the easier choice.


    (Most pilots prefer the Boeing way IRL as well)

    Is it safe to assume that ANY ILS airport I want to land at, the gauges will ALWAYS line up perfectly (eventually, if I watch them closely) so i can hit the "APPROACH" button?

    Yes...if the ILS frequency is set correctly!


    Btw. If you don't choose an arrival route from the menu, the final approach can be very short, or even too short for the autopilot (and you).


    KMHR 22L is a good example. See below. Simply click on the pencil symbol next to APP and choose a STAR (StandardArrivalRoute) which fits best to your flightplan.

    If you are using a STAR you will also get the correct altitudes and no strange FL indications.



    Noticed that KMHR is a bad example in many ways. Not only is the ILS frequency wrong, the localizer location is wrong as well.

    If you (or the AP) are following the localizer, you will land far off to the right of the runway.


    The long final option for approach training is unusable as well because neither the ILS frequency nor the course are automatically set.

    Since you can't adjust these settings while paused, you can't dail in the correct numbers fast enough to be able to practice flying the ILS approach.


    Additional problems are that the AP is not following the STAR depicted on the screenshot and the FLP distances to the waypoints on the FMC aren't updated.

    You have apparently set the ILS correctly according to the map :) , but as mentioned above, the frequency is wrong on the map!

    You need to set it to 111.35.


    Either left or right click on the aircraft symbol. The starting position will be where the green aircraft symbol on the map appears.


    edit: NAV 1 is on the left (captain) side and NAV 2 on the right (copilot) side.


    Just tried, I can't set the frequency on the instrument panel (the white circled area in your screenshot).

    I need to use the FMC or the NAV radios on the pedestal.

    Until 2:10 the setup is correct.

    Your point of departure is KO09 RWY 10 so that's what you should choose as your starting location, that's all.

    At 2:14 you are choosing a different starting location.

    Short final is close to the runway to train just the flare and landing.

    Long final means you can train flying e.g. the ILS approach.

    You can choose both final options as starting points of course, but in this case you don't need to setup the navigation from KO09 to KMHR.


    The interesting part in the video is missing. Where do you actually start the flight from? KO09 or long final KMHR?


    Concerning the screenshot; You are way too slow for the flap setting. At 140kts the flaps need to be the full down at the 40° position.

    Impossible to tell from the screenshot, but it looks like 111.3 isn't set on NAV1. That's why you get the red OFF flags.

    The approach mode will always work if the ILS frequency is set correctly.



    edit: just tested and you simply had bad luck by choosing KMHR 22L.......the ILS frequency is wrong in the sim.

    So it's not your fault!

    The correct frequency is 111.35.



    For flap extension I suggest you use this approximate schedule.

    <200kts flaps 5

    <180kts flaps 15

    <160kts flaps 25

    <150kts flaps 30 or 40

    For example, I keep setting up flights and sometimes my green indicator for approach is non existent. What area would I look in to fix that?


    Or sometimes, the flight starts, I see the green thing on the bottom. eventually it disappears but I think nothing of it because I have my flight lined up anyway, but it never comes back. I should have been in approach at this point in this screen shot but the bar was missing :(

    The 'green thing on the bottom' is the extended localizer. Identical with the information below on the HSI, just at a much higher sensitivity.


    In case you KMIA 08L, the frequency seems to be wrong, because both, the localizer on the HSI and the glideslope on the artificial horizon are showing the red OFF flags.

    1. Correct

    2 Again, the runway designator shows the magnetic heading. In case of 19 (Left) at KSFO this means (rounded) 190°

    So 215° can't be correct.

    (KMIA is unfortunately an example where this isn't the case. I have no idea why and I've never seen such a case IRL)


    Just tested. If I click on the 19L symbol it correctly says Heading 195°

    Because I see RWY 07R, and if I pull up the info on it, it reads 70. I just dont know how you got those numbers from this runway name. I will need to know this to continue to fly different routes. I am so sorry

    That's due to the different dates of the FS2 nav database and the approach chart.

    The magnetic variation changes over the years and hence the ILS course and the runway designator.

    No need to be sorry, that's what forums are for :)


    Again, the CDI indication will not be affected since the ILS course is fixed, contrary to a VOR where a different course/radial affects the CDI indication.

    All the needles are lined up and the glideslope is coming down, APP can be engaged. (The heading would be set to 284 in a moment).

    This is actually a bad example since you have already crossed the Localizer and you have forgotten to arm the approach mode, it should have been armed way before that point.



    The usual intercept heading is ~30° and you arm the approach mode as soon as the localizer needle starts moving.

    NAV 1 shows the ILS info on the HSI and the artificial horizon.


    You need to check/set 109.9 for ILS 07R at KLAX


    The TUNE button is on the second row of buttons below the FMC screen.

    If you push it you get a different screen where you can choose which frequency to tune.


    Just checked 140kts with 40° flaps is fine. Less flaps = higher speed.

    Without flaps you shouldn't slow down below 200kts.

    109 isn't the correct LOC course for runway 07R! It's 071°


    The runway designator shows the magnetic heading.


    That said, at least IRL the Autopilot doesn't care about the course you set on the CDI during an ILS approach. It's for your information only.


    You should arm the approach mode after the final turn at ~15NM from the airport.