User Guide

Learning To Fly with Rod Machado
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Now assume you’re below the glideslope and must decrease your descent rate to capture it.
4. Change the descent rate from 500 to 300 FPM by placing the nose in a 3-degree nose-up pitch
attitude as shown in Figure 8. Increase the power a little (a bit over 14 inches of MP) to maintain
90 knots.
Remember, don’t chase the VSI needle. Make pitch changes on the AI, followed by small
pressure adjustments on the joystick to fine-tune the VSI’s indication.
5. Practice alternating between a 300 and 700 FPM descent rate while maintaining 90 knots. (I’ve
placed you at 5,000 feet above sea level, so it’s best to reset the simulation occasionally by
pressing Ctrl+;, otherwise you’ll eventually conk some fish on the head.)
6. When you’ve developed some proficiency at this, press P to pause the simulation and read on.
Okay, you’re ready for the real thing. Let’s see what an actual ILS approach looks like.
From the Flights menu, click Select Flight, and choose
Tutorial 15, Situation 2.
The radio stack is visible in the upper-right corner of
your screen for this exercise.
The ILS frequency for Oakland’s ILS approach is 108.7
MHz and I’ve set it into the number one navigation
radio (Figure 9). The ILS display is shown in Figure 10.
AN ILS doesn’t have radials, but I’ve set the localizer
direction of 294 degrees (this is the precise runway
centerline direction) as a reference with the OBS.
Additionally, the autopilot’s heading hold and altitude
hold features are activated. If you look closely at the ILS
display (Figure 10), you’ll see that you’re about ready to
capture the glideslope needle from below at 2,500 feet.
Here’s what you’ll do.
Watch the autopilot fly this ILS. Then you can fly one by
yourself later.
1. Press P to activate the simulation. Make sure
power is adjusted to maintain 90 knots in level
flight (about 14 Inches of MP).
2. Let the airplane fly straight ahead until the
glideslope needle centers as shown in Figure 11.
3. In the autopilot box (at the bottom of the radio
Figure 11
Figure 10
Figure 9