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FMS while on ILS?

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GravityHater

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 12, 2004
Posts
1,168
Honeywell AP and FMS.
You are on the last stages of the star, and using the FMS to display the moving map with required star waypoints.
Then you start being vectored off the star to intercept the final approach course on an ILS.
Once the vectoring begins, you come out of nav mode, and select hdg mode on the autopilot control panel. You have the airplane is configured & prepared to capture the localizer.

At the point that you have the first vector, what is std procedure for the FMS?
I have mostly seen people just leave it alone. Seems like it could provide more positional awareness through the other moving map we have, maybe by selecting 'direct airport' once intercepting the loc? Or set it up to procede direct to the MAP?
What do you guys do with the FMS(GPS function) once on an ILS approach?
 
Well....

What do you guys do with the FMS(GPS function) once on an ILS approach?


my personal technique for the GNS-XLS (no, you didn't ask about that model) is to typically enter all the fixes along the final approach course, then the airport, then the first fix that is part of the missed approach procedure.

When on vectors, I am driving the airplane with heading mode of the AP. Maintaining SA, when I realize we are on the 30-45 degree intercept heading to pick up the localizor ("maintain XYZ heading till intercepting the localizer, cleared for ILS"), I usually in the FMS, go direct to the closest fix along the localizor in front of me. I say "usually" as it is situation-dependent, but prob 90% of the time I will tell the FMS to go direct that particular point. The moving map will "straighten itself out" once you hit that point inbound.

The reason you don't want to go "direct airport" when cleared for the approach is because the $50,000 FMS that is installed is a he11 of a SA tool, might as well use it. The IAF and FAF are most likely some NDB beacon out there, or VOR cross radials, and while you need to use the "analog" stuff to identify and tune the stations, having the IAF and FAF displayed on the FMS and moving map is helpful info.

When I hear the magic words "cleared for approach", I arm approach mode on the AP and of course make sure George does what its told.

I also have the wind vector displayed on the EFIS while on the approach, to get an idea of my winds as I travel down the ILS

if you have a GPS installed in your airplane, even a VFR one with the NAV database out of date, I recommend using it at least for "advisory" information.
 
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What Honeywell FMS's do you have?
With our NZ's, we switch to the heading mode as soon as we're getting vectors. Next, we load the approach in the FMS, set a waypoint outside our estimated intercept point as the 'from' waypoint, so the FMS'll sequence and show us a picture of where we are relative to the approach course AND the fixes on the approach.
At KSLE, for example, we'd set up the ILS with the JAIME transition, then as soon as we're getting vectored, plug GLORR or SCIOS as the 'from' waypoint, switch to 'VOR/LOC' on the nav selector, and fly the approach.
(Normally, since we have 2 FMS's, we'll load the approach into the R/H FMS to review it, then ship it to the R/H FMS as soon as we get vectors.)
Here's the ILS at KSLE
http://204.108.4.16/d-tpp/0505/00361I31.pdf
Very important: Make some SOP's for this kind of stuff if you don't have any, because you want to have a set way of doing it. Consistency will keep you out of trouble.
 
Thanks those are great ideas. Yes its the GNS-XLS.
Pt 91business so we don't have many SOPs, I am going to add some here. It is so easy to just watch the needles center, go 'Golly gee' and watch it do its thing. I need more.
 
Get some SOP's going. You'll be happier, safer, and your blood pressure will be lower doing a back-course to minimums in the dark at the end of a 12-hour, 6-leg day.
 
With the UNS-1C, when we start getting vectored, we make a PVOR off of the FAF so we have a line to watch our intercept...makes SA very easy.
 
I saw the PVOR thingy, I gots to figure that out.

OK now what about some SOPs?
We do all the checklists.
We do the standard pretakeoff briefing, the arrival briefing with the approach details.
Standard callouts.

What else do the big boys do?
 

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