How to Fly a Visual Approach.

How to Fly a Visual Approach.

How to Fly a Visual approach without an electronic glideslope or some sort of VASI is a challenge for some Pilots. It is a procedure that should have been taught early in the learning process, but for what ever reason Pilots have trouble.
Flying an approach visually is really basic and simple. This technique has worked very well for me for 30 yrs and is what I teach my students. It's all about the picture out the window, that simple. You've picked your landing point, so where that point intersects through the windscreen, keep that point at the same spot on the windscreen and you will fly a consistent glidepath all the way down to your landing point. If that spot ( landing point ) starts to raise up, then your getting low. If that spot starts to go below, then your getting high on the glidepath. It's that simple!
If you want to throw some numbers into the equation, times your distance from the end of the runway by 3. ( 5 miles x 3= 1500 feet, 10 miles x 3= 3000 feet. ) This will keep you on a perfect 3 degree glidepath. Now obviously, your ground speed will determine your descent rate. The faster your GS is, the greater your vertical speed down. The spot on the window technique can still be used if your looking at the runway out the side window. Just keep that landing point on the same spot on the window until turning final, transition that spot to the front windscreen and continue to the runway.

I researched this question about How to fly a visual approach and wow, Pilots had some complicated formulas and procedures. Next time you fly an ILS in VFR conditions, take note what the picture out the window is, what's the attitude of the aircraft in relation of the horizon. Then where your landing point is on the windscreen, keep it there and you will always fly a consistent glidepath to any runway, guaranteed!

Collins Proline 21; Terrain Display on the PFD

Terrain Display on the PFD

Here is a great example of the Terrain Display option on the

Collins Proline 21. In this picture, you can see the Terrain is displayed just as you see it out the windshield. The information is displayed very much like weather is displayed, with colors of Green, Yellow and Red. Red being the highest, relative to the airplane. You can tell the Steepness and Height of these mountains. Because there is no Green, a thin line of Yellow and right into Red, we call this a Steep Contour. The Height of the Terrain is displayed in the upper right corner of the lower PFD, hard to see in this picture. This is Ogden, Utah, the Terrain was about 5 to 6 miles from the end of the runway. Great tool for giving the "Big Picture". Imagine not having this and the mountains were obscured by clouds!

Stall Page

Collins Proline 21 - Stall Page

This Stall Page can be displayed on the MFD of the Collins Proline 21. As you can see, it displays some interesting information, AOA, Pressure on the control surfaces etc...

To bring up the page, push the Anti ice, ECS and HYD keys on the FMS control panel at the same time.

Here is a video inflight of the Stall Page

 

Simulator Training

Simulator Training

Just completed my Simulator Training today. Something Pilots should do on a regular basis, we do it every 6 months. The simulator is the environment where many different scenario's and emergencies can be demonstrated.
These devices are full motion and give a totally realistic atmosphere. In fact its so real, sometimes you forget your not in the actual airplane. Simulator's started being used in the mid to late 60's. Before that, much of the training was done in the actual airplane. This was expensive and sometimes dangerous. These first generation sims were basic compared with todays standards, but provided a much better training environment. Today, simulators are more complex than the airplane it represents and sometimes costs more!
Check out these video's, they are inside a Corporate Jet sim and also showing the building they are housed. Hope you enjoy....