Hi chaps,
I'm not a pilot, so please don't shoot me down. Just interested.
It seems a common approach into FACT is the ERDAS 1A Star.
http://www.caa.co.za/Aeronautical%20...001_ARR-01.pdf
I wanted to try it on my home simulator, and did OK. However, a lot of it was guess work. I flew to ERDAS waypoint from FACT, set the NAV radio to 115.7 (CTV) and then flew along the 245 radial towards FACT. Then, at 8 DME, I turned left to 190... and then when passing over the beach, started a slow right turn until I saw RW01 ahead. I did not have ILS set... I probably should have. But my question is:
Leave ERDAS at FL100. I was at 6000 the whole way. It says maintain assigned alt. What would that be (usually)? FL100 seemed very high for how far out I was.
Then it says turn right direct to CTV (After tracking 190) and maintain 6,500. Again, I was around 4,000 and I felt very high. I'm sure the chart is right though, so would you start descending from 6,500 when you start that turn? If using ILS, would you not intercept the glide slope very high? Or, as I assume, would ATC be telling you your altitude, which would let you join on or below the glide slope?
When I tried it, at lower heights than mentioned - I felt very high and really had to drop a lot before I got my two reds and two whites.
Any experience and info, in speak that an enthusiast might understand would be amazing.
Also, when living in SA, I recall seeing the aircraft come over Durbanville, and then commence a turn for 19 over Durbanville Hill, and then straight in (it looked like). Would that be a STAR, and which one would that have been? (Possibly the ERDAS one again, but for 19?) It seems all the STARs are based on the VOR at Caper Town. Here in Brisbane, the STARs seem to mainly be waypoint to waypoint.