What would your airplane do?

TripSix

Well-Known Member
http://flightaware.com/resources/airport/DAL/IAP/RNAV (RNP) W RWY 13L/pdf

On initial contact you are told to expect the RNAV W 13L approach.

Later, you are level at 3,000 and cleared direct NOKME to join the final approach course (NOT cleared for the approach).

Having the RNAV W 13L approach loaded would your airplane:

A) Climb to 3,300 as depicted.

or

B) Stay at 3,000 and start descending via the profile 1.9 past WUPAG.

Oh, and please include the aircraft type (more specifically the FMS capabilities of your aircraft)!
 
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Hawker 700/800 with a GNS XLS, it would depend on two things: 1 is if the pilot activates the approach and 2 how the autopilot is coupled. If you're not on approach mode it won't follow the glide slope. For example with altitude hold or altitude select engaged the pilot can select the altitude to be at.
I can't speak with 100% certainty on how to fly this approach since we are not authorized for it though..
 
BE 20 pro line 21. It wouldn't change altitude at all. In this instance the approach would not be armed because we're not cleared yet. We'd advance the FMS to go direct nokme and it would go direct and join the approach.

Although I'm not sure your example clearance is legit.....
 
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CRJ-200

Plane would have been broken at the gate and never departed.
No, that would be the Q400. Except the broken airplane would already be the 'operational spare' that they had on hand.


Anyway... assuming you were somehow able to get the Q into the air, it would do the following.

You'd be ALT-captured at 3000, so it's not going to climb, and you're probably in HDG mode. You'd hit DTO and select NOKME, hit NAV, and the airplane would turn to that waypoint, but only after initially turning about 15 degrees in the wrong direction. It does it every time. ATC will ask you if you're turning, or just stupid.

Then you'd go to the VNAV page to set that up. Since the airplane would have back-calculated altitudes at each waypoint based on an assumed 3-degree glidepath, you have to change one of the altitudes. I'd pick the one next to NOKME, and type in 3000. Now the FMS re-calculates the other altitudes. Now if you got your approach clearance and actually wanted to come down, you spin the altitude alerter down to something that resembles the field elevation, hit the VTO button to select your waypoint you want to VNAV to, and select NOKME. Now you have a level VNAV leg between your position at 3000, and crossing NOKME at 3000. Push VNAV to arm, and it will capture a second or so later. Now simply wait for passage of each waypoint for the Q400 roller coaster to begin. It will float everyone in the back while diving to catch the glidepath as it crosses a waypoint, and then it will pull up abruptly as it figures out it over-shot. It will do this at most of the waypoints.


Oh. And every now and then.... your VNAV will simply vanish like it never existed. You'll try to reset it, and you can even force it to come back by pushing 'activate approach.' The VNAV will still come and go as it pleases. On my way into BOI the other day, the VNAV came and went at least 4 times without any action by myself or the Captain.





And one more thing. If the Captain wanted any of this displayed on their side, they'll have to do all of the typing over again. Neither side of the airplane talks to the other.
 
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C506 Universal UNS-1 SCN-1000. If i'm are not cleared for the approach then I'd be in altitude hold mode at 3000' with the approach 'activated', but not yet 'armed'. DTO to NOKME (NAV engaged) and the autopilot will intercept the course and maintain 3000' until I select 'armed'. Then the aircraft flies the approach as advertised.
 
We'd stay in Alt hold mode with 3,000 set in the window. NAV to follow the course.

170/190, Honeywell
 
I'd query if they want the climb. That has killed some people. Knowing it's Dallas we know it's fine, but where there are pointy things, those altitudes are there for a reason.
 
So far the Q is the only one that anybody has listed that can fly the RNPs.

That said, while I'm not legal for it in the plane I currently fly, from the clearance given, pretty much every aircraft out there would be in NAV mode to get to NOKME and even though there is all kinds of vertical guidance waiting to happen on the approach, the clearance to NOKME is a simple direct to clearance and has absolutely nothing to do with the approach. I don't think any aircraft would just climb back up to 3300 on it's own without some kind of pilot intervention past selecting direct to NOKME. (I'm thinking that's where the OP was going with this)
 
http://flightaware.com/resources/airport/DAL/IAP/RNAV (RNP) W RWY 13L/pdf

On initial contact you are told to expect the RNAV W 13L approach.

Later, you are level at 3,000 and cleared direct NOKME to join the final approach course (NOT cleared for the approach).

Having the RNAV W 13L approach loaded would your airplane:

A) Climb to 3,300 as depicted.

or

B) Stay at 3,000 and start descending via the profile 1.9 past WUPAG.

Oh, and please include the aircraft type (more specifically the FMS capabilities of your aircraft)!

The 190 is authorized for RNP 0.3 approaches and if cleared direct NOKME at 3000 as you have described, the aircraft would do neither of your scenarios. It would hold the altitude at 3000 and track the lateral guidance without descending.

To be honest, if assigned the approach and then given 3000 as an altitude, I would query ATC because NOKME has an at or above 4000 depicted.


Anyone flying any airplane that can legally do this approach?

The 190 at Airways can fly RNP 0.3 approaches, but since we only use KDAL as an alternate, I highly doubt we are authorized for this specific approach.
 
Oh, and please include the aircraft type (more specifically the FMS capabilities of your aircraft)!

FMS capabilities? You're funny. We're happy when we get the birds that have this:


2101.jpg
 
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Falcon 900EX EASy 2, it would stay at 3000 ASEL and just track the inbound course in NAV. It will not leave ASEL until Approach mode is selected in the FGP.

EASy 2 (Honeywell Epic based system) is RNP AR capable to 0.3.
 
Falcon 900EX EASy 2, it would stay at 3000 ASEL and just track the inbound course in NAV. It will not leave ASEL until Approach mode is selected in the FGP.

EASy 2 (Honeywell Epic based system) is RNP AR capable to 0.3.

God I miss the the EASy...
 
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