B737 Question about FAC & G/P FMA
 

Currently trying to get some pre-studying done before I go for my initial type-rating next week, I noticed an image of the PFD DU with FAC (Final Approach Course) in the roll mode and G/P (Glide Path) in the pitch mode on the FMA.
I can't seem to find any detailed information about this, and was wondering if there by chance is someone that knows more.
I've been told it has to do with something called IAN (Integrated Approach Navigation?), but don't have knowledge about this either.

Having never flown transport aircraft previously either, I am still trying to wrap my head around the documentation.

Thanks!

FAC and G/P are indeed IAN indications.

IAN allows non-precision approaches to be flown effectively as a pseudo-ILS, using the same buttons on the MCP, and avoids the many 'gotchas' of flying the approach in LNAV/VNAV. Particularly useful for the hard of thinking (like me).

To differentiate an IAN approach from a real ILS, the annunciations on the FMAs are changed: FAC replaces LOC, and G/P replaces G/S. Also, the 'glideslope' and 'localizer' pointers on the PFD are depicted as triangles instead of diamonds.

It's a very nice toy that makes NDB and VOR approaches a non-event.

Ah, I see. Thanks for the information!
I can't seem to find anything about IAN in my company' FCOM. Is it perhaps an extra feature?

IAN is an option. If it's Ryanair you're studying for you won't find it as their 737s don't have it enabled.

F40P: I can understand you asking the question; but why here? You are on a full TR course surrounded by SFI's. I assume you have seen these symbols in the sim. Was the sim configured in the correct 'customer configuration'? If you are approaching LST it's very late to notice such a thing, and very late to solve a confusion. Given you are almost there - LST - I suggest you need a clear answer PDQ and a local SFI will be your best source.

RAT 5, don't be so hard on him. First, the indication could be in a CBT, not necessarily in the SIM. CBTs are often boeing generic and boeing does like to show off its options. And if his airline doesn't have this option they won't be able to explain it. Therefore a question here is not a bad idea at all, more than enough different boeing pilots on here that can explain some of those options.

I was rather surprised myself to learn that IAN is apparently an option, not standard. It is in my view one of the best integrated approach system on the market in bigger planes, don't know what those shiny blinking new business jets have in their next gen avionics suite. Therefore i would have guessed that all airlines select it, as it is in my view an additional safety tool as well.

As with a lot of things in aviation it comes down to $$$$

What actually makes this any safer than flying these approaches with LNAV/VNAV and RNP/ANP NPS scales?

Thanks for the answers!
For the record, although I don't wish to corroborate which airline I will work for, I have not yet commenced my type rating. As I stated, I am still at home studying to prepare fore the rating commencing the next month. Which in turn should explain why I came here to get an answer.

I do however appreciate people taking the time to answer my questions!

Same indication and approach procedures for all straight in approaches, full GPWS glide path alerting, which can be sometimes a nuisance on short final though, and similar sensitivity as for an ILS/GLS approach (angular approach indication). No fiddling around with the altitude window, simply set the missed approach altitude, same as for an ILS/GLS approach, select approach and intercept the approach in an identical fashion.

And all that independent of flight director status.

Yes, one still has to know the system and its limits, but that is nothing new and applies to all systems. To be honest, all 737s with navigation performance scales we operated had IAN activated as well, and IAN was the primary system with LNAV/VNAV as fallback, which was never necessary.