PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Simulator Circuits
View Single Post
Old 6th Nov 2007, 11:01
  #23 (permalink)  
Centaurus
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Australia
Posts: 4,191
Likes: 0
Received 19 Likes on 6 Posts
so I was wondering if anyone got any sort for ideas that I could use which might help me from goin-around every time a I line up on final ?
First of all make sure the size of the protected area that the circling MDA in your region is safe. For the 737 it is 4.2 miles in Australia. It may be only 1.7 miles in USA. In the simulator with its visual limitations (you cannot look past your shoulder) then the best way is to fly downwind and start the base turn jusy inside the limit of 4.2 miles. Don't descend until you have intercepted the ILS glide path on final or intercepting the on-slope signal of the PAPI/VASIS on final.

. If the simulator instructor has inserted a visibility of less than 8 kms then he is not playing fair, because of the limitations on the design of the visual portion of the windscreen. If he allows you to fly on instruments using the map mode and other aids like waypoints, then he should equally allow you to go downwind on the clocks to the limit of the protected MDA area. He cannot have it both ways. In real life the circling approach is done as a fully visual manoeuvre with the airport environment in sight at all times. In the simulator the design limitations means the circling approach is a combination visual and IMC with IMC most of the time. Try turning on the standby ADI ILS. This gives you a much earlier glide slope indication on base leg than the standard glass cockpit ILS.

Either way, once you elect to descend below the published MDA at any time while circling you are entirely responsoble for your own obstacle clearance with all the legal responsibility that it entails. Think about that carefully.
Centaurus is offline