GCA

[Lower&slower]

Hi,

What is the preferred method of flying a GCA, do you handfly or use the autopilot?

This type of approach has just been included in our OM/B, that states it has to be flown either directed or with the autopilot, but I'm ( no real GCA experience) pretty sure that handflying it would be my first choice...

Cheers,

Lower&slower

[c100driver]

Autopilot on, Heading Select and V/S or FPV.

[Intruder]

What type of airplane and nav system available? What other approaches are available to the runway?

The EASIEST way for all GCAs would be Autopilot, HDG SEL and V/S, as C100 noted. If you have never flown one, why would you not want to do it the easy way until you get experience?

Once you and your crew have experience, THEN use the FD while your PM changes the HDG bug and V/S appropriately.

Depending on the airport and runway, you might be able to load an RNAV or ILS approach to use as a backup reference.

[Lower&slower]

Thanks,

Did a google search, couldn't find much info, but an older thread on pprune said that it was difficult to make the corrections small enough with the autopilot. But if you're not having any problems it's probably the way to go ;-)

[c100driver]

The last GCA approach I did was in a B767 with autopilot, Heading Select and V/S. It was more than enough to get the job done after an 11 hour flight.

[chevvron]

Thanks,

Did a google search, couldn't find much info, but an older thread on pprune said that it was difficult to make the corrections small enough with the autopilot. But if you're not having any problems it's probably the way to go ;-)
This is true. I did many PAR approaches with bizjets at Farnborough before the ILS was installed (you may have seen one of my efforts on the Discovery channel programme about the Challenger 604) and the 2 or 3 deg heading changes we passed often produced no reaction if flown on autopilot; only when the total heading change was 5 deg or more would the aircraft react and it was frustrating that my instructions to try to bring it gently onto centreline came to nothing as suddenly the aircraft would turn 5 deg and shoot straight through the centreline and necessitate a large corrective heading change to try to bring it back.
An ex-military pilot who flew a '125-600 always said you must fly it manually with the yaw damper cancelled.
When we got a LLZ/DME installed, I made sure it was set up with the same final approach track as the PAR, then pilots could (if they wished) couple the autopilot to the localiser and just take my glidepath guidance which made things much easier!!

[Lower&slower]

Thank you for your answers :-)

I guess it depends somewhat on the systems in the aircraft then, and it's probably a good idea to test the autopilot first..

[Intruder]

I've done them in the 747 Classic and 744. Small heading changes and +/- 100-200 FPM V/S changes work fine.

[mcdhu]

My experience of GCAs (or PARs as they became known) was in military AC whose AP was not up to the required accuracy (HS748/Andover, C130, HS125, BAe146).
It required decent IF skills which came about with practice - which we got!
Cheers
mcdhu