Hand flying ILS with low ceiling.

The "Queen of the Skies"
new reply
User avatar
bobsk8
Technical Sergeant
Posts: 900
Joined: 04 May 2015, 12:53
Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Hand flying ILS with low ceiling.

Post by bobsk8 »

Lat night I was on a Vatsim flight in the Connie into KBTV, and the ceiling was 250 feet and vis 1 mile. Been flying ILS's for many years, but the closer I got to the runway, the more problems I had keeping the aircraft on the LOC and GS. A series of S turns on the LOC, had me over correcting to the left and right looking more like a series of S turns. The lag in the response of the Connie seemed to be the problem I was dealing with. Turn the aircraft to the left, and overshoot to the left, turn right, same problem. I finally did manage to land on the runway, but the Vatsim controllers must have had a laugh watching me shoot the ILS.

Any tips that Connie experts have for hand flying ILS in poor vis.
MSFS 2020
ATC by PF3

Image

ft
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 358
Joined: 01 Feb 2005, 08:13

Re: Hand flying ILS with low ceiling.

Post by ft »

Not by far a Connie expert, but sounds like the classic "don't chase the needle" could be up for a refresher?

This will all be "yeah, I've heard that before", but sometimes we need to be reminded to do things we already know we should be doing so here goes regardless:

Pick a heading, observe the needle, adjust heading, observe needle, figure out which heading seems to work and adjust right/left to keep the darn needle under control. Adjust as you go, winds will be changing.

Figure out how to make slight heading adjustments in a controlled manner while minimizing the effort spent, e g "smooth bank to five degrees followed by immediate return to level gives me two degrees of heading change".

All about cutting the dynamics out of the loop and making the flying boring and mechanical, thereby freeing cognitive resources to focus on doing the needle-centering magic.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
Be warned: Aero engineer, real life pilot, sim programmer. Nothing good can come out of that.

User avatar
Oracle427
Chief Master Sergeant
Posts: 3916
Joined: 02 Sep 2013, 19:30
Location: 3N6
Contact:

Re: Hand flying ILS with low ceiling.

Post by Oracle427 »

Totally agree, plus important to remember that the needles become increasingly sensitive as you get closer to the field. You have to anticipate this increasing sensitivity and use the above technique to get established up nice and stable well out before the needles get too jumpy.
Flight Simmer since 1983. PP ASEL IR Tailwheel
N28021 1979 Super Viking 17-30A

flapman
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 457
Joined: 10 Oct 2013, 21:35

Re: Hand flying ILS with low ceiling.

Post by flapman »

To expand on what ft said.

Not only should you "bracket" your localizer, but you should use bracketing techniques on the glideslope as well. Pick a vertical speed, observe the needle, change vertical speed, observe the needle again. Keep in mind the delay in the VSI gauge, and use the AI pitch as a backup while waiting for the static system to update.

As you get closer to the antennae, the ILS LOG/GS will become more sensitive, but your constant bracketing should greatly improve your precision, and much smaller corrections should be needed while needle sensitivity increases.

Another tip from much faster aircraft is to "lead" your corrections. If you've gotten off course and applied correction to return to center, keep in mind that your current track and path will have you blowing through the course or slope unless you take steps to take out the correction. Experience will have you starting to make this adjustment before the needle centers.

IOW, It can't be much harder than hand flying the Concorde to mins 8)

new reply

Return to “Lockheed Model 049 Constellation”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 12 guests