FNPT Instrument Approaches

Simulator training has now progressed to the point that we've currently been doing approach flights. Basically we're spending the whole 1-hour session doing a certain approach procedure usually either on both ends of the runway or to one direction only. These approach flights have been a bit more challenging than doing only holdings or radio navigation exercises but still I don't feel like there's too much to handle.

ILS Y to RWY 15 at Helsinki-Vantaa

We started with a few ILS precision approach flights and continued with a few more VOR-based non-precision approaches, followed by NDB approaches and then went back to flying ILS's. All of these differ somewhat and in my opinion, although ILS is the precision approach and guides you usually very close to the runway center line, which makes it quite comfortable and induces quite a low-workload after you've adjusted to the procedure, I somehow like doing also the VOR and NDB approaches. There's a certain amount of fun included in the fact that they are not so precise and so you don't have to have everything so spot-on as in the ILS approaches. It is easier to accept that you might be a little high on the glide path or a little bit to the side. It's hard to explain, but all in all I think it has been very fun doing all of these interesting approaches.

We also flew one RNAV approach flight, and it seems they are also quite easy and you usually have very much time in your hands since the procedures are quite long usually. RNAV seems to be the way of the future so I think I'll be doing these quite a lot more in the future.

Also one interesting exercise was the circling approach, although it was pretty hard to simulate it since there's no side-view's in our FNPT trainer. In the circling approach, you basically do an approach to one runway and when you get it in sight, you circle to the opposite end of the runway visually keeping the runway in sight and then land visually. They are done usually if only one side of the runway has an instrument approach and the wind favors the opposite end, or if there is some kind of an obstacle that prevents approaching the intended runway directly (like a mountain, for example). Very interesting.

Lastly, there was the SRA and PAR approaches. These are somewhat rare and strange approaches, since the PAR, for example, is a precision approach that requires the plane to have a VHF radio only! The approach, flying to the correct direction and descending at the correct rate in relation to the runway is all done with the voice of a qualified ATCO, and eventually you find yourself from the runway. The SRA is basically a non-precision brother of the PAR.

So, only a few flights left and then it's time to move to the real airplane!