Cannot get approach mode to work

[Timendainum]

Been working on learning the CRJ200.

 

I have the latest steam version of both x-plane and the crj. Running on windows 7, 64bit.

 

Having no problem with anything but getting the approach mode to work. I get on the approach with ils tuned and course selected properly.

 

Screen is showing the glide-slope, but the plane will not follow the it. I've tried entering into it in altitude and nav mode, then arming AP. It never takes over, will just fly right directly down the runway, but will not descend.

 

I've tried entering into the approach in nav and speed mode then arming AP, again it will not take over.

 

I've disabled everything but AP mode, but the plane acts like it is in altitude mode and nav mode.

 

What am I doing wrong here?

[cessna729]

You say you tuned & selected the ILS correctly? (I have tuned mine to 109.10MHz for the ILS Rwy 17 @ KTIW, Ident: ITIW).

Did you have the correct AP MODE and SOURCE selected before intercepting the Glide path?

For example did you have something like this:?

FD, AP ENG, APPR & ALT.

 

Notice NAV source selected to NAV1, NAV1, tuned and ILS ident checked.

PFD showing LOC1 & ALT Active, G/S Armed

 

Once you have intercepted the LOC the ALT lights go out.

 

As you get ready to intercept the glide slope (within 1/2 dot) the G/S the mode should switch to ACTIVE (G/S in Green text).

And the aircraft starts to decend on the G/S.

 

You didn't say which airport, Rwy & ILS your trying to use, so are you sure the LOC your using does actually have a G/S associated with it? You also didn't tell us if you were flying or the FMS was navigating maybe using a STAR etc. before setting up for the approach?

If you were using the FMS, please say what FMS navdata you were using.

cessna729.

Edited January 17, 2016 by cessna729

[Timendainum]

Thank you for your response.

 

FMS data set 1601. The current one.

 

I am landing at KMSP runway 30L. Approach BLUEM2 to ILS RWY 30L via the HASTI transition.

 

I have tried tuning 110.3 (which is the one I believe is right) and also 115.3 (the localizer, but this one does not give me G/S info, and isn't centered over the runway, it actually sits between 30L and 30R).

 

IDENT if I recall tuned to 110.3 just said KMSP. I suspect this is the problem as yours started with I, maybe indicating I am tuning the wrong thing.

 

My autopilot looked just like yours as I was trying to intercept.FD, Approach, and Alt selected. I am intercepting the glide-path from underneath, as the dot comes down G/S mode does not engage, mine looks just like yours saying LOC1 and ALTS below it with G/S in white off to the right.

 

Nav source is NAV1, I am getting G/S info, and it is flying me directly over 30L.

 

I will take some screen shots here in a bit and post them.

Edited January 17, 2016 by Timendainum

[Timendainum]

Oddly enough while trying this again to take screenshots, I managed to get it to work, although I don't really understand why.

 

What I did different was, I intercepted the glide-slope from above, not below. Although this was accidental, as i didn't expect it to catch it. Also, I engaged AP a lot further out. Maybe 16 or so nm. Maybe I was always to close on my other attempts?

 

The procedure I used this time was to fly FMS till I was on runway heading. I was already in spd mode continuing my decent. Next, I switched to heading mode so I could switch nav source. Switched to nav1, confirmed course setting and that it looked liked we were still aligned, then engaged nav mode. Once it settled into course I armed AP mode. It was close to the glide-slope at this time and it engaged G/S almost directly. I was not expecting this to happen, I was expecting to drop below the glide-slope, level out, then intercept it from below. Instead it engaged a couple of seconds after I armed it.

 

 

 

I went in for a good landing, probably my best ever in the CRJ200.

 

I will try a few more times here and see. Really the only major difference here is I was much farther out.

Edited January 18, 2016 by Timendainum

[Vantskruv]

Notice, before setting the ILS frequency, set the automatic radio tuning to manual in the FMC, otherwise there is a risk the FMC will turn back to any frequency of a VOR/DME beacon.

[Timendainum]

Notice, before setting the ILS frequency, set the automatic radio tuning to manual in the FMC, otherwise there is a risk the FMC will turn back to any frequency of a VOR/DME beacon.

 

I did not double check this before, although I think when you manually enter a freq it automatically changes to manual. Last night when flying I explicitly changed to manual.

 

The things I've picked up here that were key was the IDENT. I didn't realize that showed this.

 

I am still hoping I figure out what I was doing wrong. I'll try another flight this evening and see how it goes!

Edited January 18, 2016 by Timendainum

[Timendainum]

Another successful flight. I still don't know what I was doing wrong in the beginning.

[cessna729]

and also 115.3 (the localizer, but this one does not give me G/S info, and isn't centered over the runway, it actually sits between 30L and 30R).

Negative! 115.3 is MSP (MINNEAPOLIS) a VORW/DME and *NOT* a localizer.

 

The Localiser Ident is I-MSP and the correct frequency is as you guessed 110.3 MHz.

Note the Ident displayed on the CRJ's PFD & ND appears slightly corrupted and shows:

NAV1

CRS 301

6.9 NM

IMSPMSP

 

The last 3 Characters are actually from the NAV2 radio (which was tuned to MSP the VOR/DME on 115.3MHz).

 

Just tried my CRJ-200 using Navigraph 1601 X-Plane nav data

 

earth_nav.dat has both an LOC (Row4) & GS (Row6) for Rwy 30L @ KMSP.

4  44.88957309 -093.23824668    812 11030  18     301.452 IMSP KMSP 30L ILS-cat-II6  44.87416684 -093.20561393   812 11030  10 300301.452 IMSP KMSP 30L GS

 

cessna729

Edited January 21, 2016 by cessna729

[Timendainum]

Yeah,

 

I was able to figure that out once I realized I was over the middle of those 2 runways. I've had several successful flights, I'm not sure what I was doing wrong, my guess is I was trying to intercept too closely. I have flown at least 10 flights, several in the CRJ and several in some other planes and I've not had a single problem since.

 

I thank you guys very much for your comments, I'm not sure which one helped me, but I'm on course now!