Training required to perform GPS approaches

[Marauder]

I have 20 years in the Diesel Nine (DC9) and about 5 in the 757/767.  I did not consider the 757 to be glass.  That's one of the things I liked about it.  It used glass to display steam gauges.  The hardest part was learning the FMS.  What's it doing now?  Is it doing what I asked it to?  How do I get it to....

 

I never flew a GPS approach until we put one in the Mooney and find them no more difficult than any other approach.  The main thing is as  MooneyBob said, know how to use the box.  I spent probably a couple hundred hours playing with the simulator before I ever flew the airplane with it (hey what else am I going to do on a 16 hour layover in a hotel)?  I'm still learning tricks for the box.  Here's my latest:

 

1.  Have a plan.  Know what the winds are, what approaches are likely, and what approach I want to fly; both at my destination and my alternate.  If they don't give it to me and they are using the runway I planned, ask for what I want.

2.  Load the route of flight.

3.  Load the approach but obviously do not activate.

4.  Scroll to the bottom of the list after the missed approach procedure.  Add the transition fix of the approach I want at my alternate if I have to go missed and plan to divert.  Then add my alternate airport.  You can do this with the GTN650/750 but don't know if you can do this with the 430/530.

5.  To activate the approach, activate a leg of the approach, not by using the 'activate approach' button.  This keeps the alternate airport and transition fix in the flight plan.

6.  If I have to divert, I already know what I want to do so when they say, "state your intentions" I can tell them I want to go direct to XXXXX for the XXX approach to XXX.  When they say cleared direct I can hit D-->, select it from the flight plan, and get going the right direction.  I can then select my alternate from the flight plan and load and activate the approach.

 

As we used to say in Training Command, technique only, not procedure.

 

Bob

 

I like your #4. Makes a lot of sense and it was one of the things I struggled with during IPCs when my CFII would tell me he wanted me to fly approach 1 followed by approach 2 on the miss. Loading the next approach was always a distraction. I like your approach (pun intended).

[carusoam]

Being ready for going missed is challenging...

Getting set up for a real life approach to another airport takes preparation...

Bob-S50, thanks for your detailed insight on how you get prepared!

Best regards,

-a-