Trident tracking back ILS

[miken5000]

I have recently started flying a trident using David Maltby's excellent panel

I was approaching Split LOSP r/w 23 which has a back ILS. When it intercepted the ILS rather than line up with the runway it veered away.

Is it not possible to use the ILS to align with the runway, I appreciate I would need to track the beam manually

This is my first post here, apologies if this is covered elsewhere

Thanks

Mike

[Chris Trott]

Make sure you have the FRONT COURSE dialed in (not the Back Course) and that you select the "B/C" mode and not "APP". This is a common misconception about how autopilots handle the situation. If you dial in the back course the HSI has reverse sensing (shows left of course when actually right of course). If you dial the front course it will have correct sensing but the autopilot always tries to follow the front course (i.e. turn towards the arrow) so you have to select "B/C" mode for it to properly interpret the HSI signals.

[miken5000]

Thank you Chris

That is how I would normally do the approach say in a 737 where the autopilot has a back course switch. However, in the case of the Trident the auto pilot has three settings, Glide ( the standard ILS setting to intercept the beam ), Land ( used for autoland, as it accurately holds to the beam ) or off. In the case of Split ( LOSP ) both the standard ILS for r/way 13 and the back ILS for r/way 23 have the same frequency ( at least in FS9 ). David's manual doesn't refer to a back switch setting either

When I did a real life landing in a 727 some 35 odd years ago the pilot approached on a bearing 130 ( I could see the r/way out of the port side ). He then banked very sharply ( somewhat impressively ) 180deg and landed r/way 23. This misses the 1500 ft hill which the back ILS takes you over. I don't have the chart but maybe this is the correct approach.

Mike

[miken5000]

To correct a few errors in my last post, which may ( or may not ) help:

The runway in question is r/way 23, and the r/way with the ILS is r/way 5, Split Airport is LDSP ( not LOSP ), and checking on charts I now have, the bearing on leaving the beacon before the final approach is 52 degrees ( ie parallel to r/way 5 )

I'll never pass any exams

Mike

[Fortiesman]

Miken S!

I too have recently tried to learn the Trident in FSX with VC. You chaps are obviously well ahead of me but i am not doing too badly on the basics.
I have one problem though - can you help please?
When approaching on the ATC final instructions in the Comet and other planes, there is an SFS switch or APP button to press to get the HSI to show the movement of the line when you hit the localiser beam. As I read the instructions, when that happens, In the Trident, you would then click the Glide button on the AP panel.
But at the moment i don't know when to hit the glide button because I don't know what the Trident plane equivalent to the SFS button is? Can anyone show me where it is on the VC cockpit?

thanks

FM

[miken5000]

Miken S!

But at the moment i don't know when to hit the glide button because I don't know what the Trident plane equivalent to the SFS button is? Can anyone show me where it is on the VC cockpit?

thanks

FM

I think you are looking for something that doesn't exist - assume you are approaching the ILS with the frequency already tuned in, as the horizontal situation indicator picks up the beam ( the guage with the blue & yellow just below the altitude indicator ) you will see the horizontal line above the centre, say towards the top of the guage. As you approach the glide slope the horizontal line will come down. As the line gets to the centre of the guage at that point you switch to glide / land on the autopilot. I never knew the SFS button existed in a Comet until I read the manual

Hope this helps

Mike

[Fortiesman]

Miken S1

Thanks for the reply. It makes sense and I was beginning to suspect that there was no switch or button. even though every other tube I've flown there is a switch or APP button to click on to make the HSI ready to show the beam has been "encountered" .
I'll give it a go .
I seem to get anomalies re the AP -I think it is because I am using FSX.
Are u FSX or FS9?

Thanks again

FM

[miken5000]

Miken S1

It makes sense and I was beginning to suspect that there was no switch or button. even though every other tube I've flown there is a switch or APP button to click on to make the HSI ready to show the beam has been "encountered" .

Thanks again

FM

In a way there is an APP button - the glide button works the same as the APP button does in a "modern" aircraft. Once you are aligned with the funnel of the ILS, switch the autopilot to "glide". It will then track to intercept the ILS and turn to align with the runway. Once the HSI shows the horizontal line in the centre then either switch to "land" for an auto-land or track the beam, but do make sure the altitude hold button is off as it doesn't always appear go out automatically, and you end up above the glide slope. I also enjoy the BAC 1-11 which has no autoland, but in that aircraft I track the beam by changing the level of descent

I use FS2004, my elderly PC can't cope with FSX - I also design scenery, and also amend AFCAD files as and when requested by other users.

Mike