PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Circling Approach tricks in the simulator.
Old 24th Jun 2007, 09:19
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rubik101
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Thailand
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A few tips then.

This needs to be well briefed beforehand and you need a pretty sharp PNF to accomplish this!

At the point where you break off the instrument approach and head 45 left or right, PNF selects the landing runway in the APP page, select an extension of 1.5 miles.

Go to LEGS page and select the extension waypoint to the top of the active page. Input a height of 500'. Do NOT execute!

Don't forget to adjust the track and timing downwind for the wind effect!!!

Start timing from abeam the threshold of the landing runway depending on your height.

As you hit the time required, EXECUTE the legs selection and start the turn. Adjust the bank angle selector to get the trend vector on top of the waypoint. Adjust the vertical speed to get the Green Banana over the waypoint.

As soon as you see the runway visually, you will be amazed to see that you are on the centreline and on the PAPI/VASIs.

Take over manually and land!

The trick to SIM or even real circling approaches is to draw a mini Jepp chart and write on it all the points, distances, timings, heights, speeds, Flap and Gear extension points, wind, vertical speeds and so on. Do it on the back of the met, and make it big enough for PNF to read it too. Brief at least 30 minutes before TOD. The only adjustment you need to make on the day is the timing/heading downwind if the wind is very different from that briefed.
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