You are about to become as busy as you have ever been flying the
Flight Simulator. There are several reasons for this:-
i) You have no idea where you are.... (Good Reason)
ii) You have to learn to "scan" your instruments.
iii) You have to learn "spacial awareness".
iv) Frequency changes on COM1.
v) Regular "check-ins" on COM1.
vi) Fly the aircraft.... (Most important).
How do you achieve this?
It's not easy.... You must create for yourself an effective scan
of your instruments. Your "scan" must become a fixed pattern that you do
every few seconds. It should be logical to your pattern of flight. Most
important is that you register what your instruments are telling you on
each scan. (It is no use looking at instruments without seeing what they
are saying to you..) If you can learn to "scan" and read radio messages
and fly the aircraft (which is not more difficult than it sounds), you will
have truly learned to fly....
What is "spacial awareness"? It's quite simple really. Learn to
appreciate that if between two radio calls the controller changes from
saying "You are left of centerline..." to "You are on the centerline..."
you are on the extreme left edge of the centerline and that if you change
back to runway heading immediately you will end up "left of centerline"
again. (So leave your turn back to runway heading until after the next
radio call unless you are grossly off heading).
This rule, however does not apply to your height! The SRA
Controller has no knowledge or control over your height. The secret is
that at the recommended 500 feet per minute rate of descent for this
approach you will lose 150 feet every half a mile at around 80 knots.
(Or 300 feet every mile at the same speed). There is a catch in this
that you should remember.... The height on your altimeter will be shown
as AMSL (height Above Mean Sea Level). In this scenery area RAF Odiham's
runway is at 295 feet above sea level. (Let's call it 300 feet!). So when
an Air Traffic Controller tells you you height should be 1500 feet your
altimeter should read 1800 feet. This puts you at 1500 feet AGL. (Above
Ground Level).
Yes, you're right you are going to have to do maths too!!! With
all the other stuff you will need to do to be successful it is beginning
to sound too difficult. It's not!!! Yes it requires some practice, but so
does instrument flying for real and people do it every day.
I am not, by any means the greatest flier of the Flight Simulator
in the world, I am still learning to fly some of the higher performance aircraft, (that includes the Learjet), but when I follow the controllers instructions and apply "spacial awareness" I have rarely managed
NOT to land the Cessna, and, believe me, that's a pretty good record for me.
RULE:- To truly make this simulation work you should not acknowledge a
message from Air Traffic, (Press The "C" key), until after the
message has completely left the screen. (Not the grey bar, just
the text of the message). There may be occasions where you have
completed required actions quicker than expected. If you do not
receive a new message on pressing the "C" key continue to press
it every half second or so, it will reply!! This especially
applies to the 180 degree, initial "turn on" where you often will
find that you have to press the "C" button a few times before the
Approach Controller replies. (He's away getting a coffee!!!)
After that it is pretty much perfect.
OBSERVATION:- I have had some problems that I cannot yet solve if you
make an SRA file the START-UP MODE for FS4. It seems to acquire
altitude changes that appear to come from the Miegs scenery.
I do not recommend that you make this your start-up mode but
that you change modes to this after simulator start-up.
ODISRA.MOD
++++++++++
OK, that's the general stuff over with!! If you are experienced
with Flight Simulator let's go straight to the ODISRA mode. This mode
starts with you six miles downwind (you always land into'ish wind) and
one mile left of the extended centerline. To make life easier there is no
wind and no turbulence. You are also heading on the reciprocal of the
runway heading. You will receive RAF Odiham's ATIS which will inform you
to check-in with Odiham Approach on frequency 122.45. Change immediately!!
You will be informed of position, recommended height, and actions. Your
action at this point will be to make a 20 degree of bank, left hand turn
to 289 degrees. Its actually a more accurate turn if you are a little lax
with the 20 degrees to the low side, maybe 17 degrees aggregate.
When you "roll out" on 289 (+ or - a degree) you should find the
Approach Controller by pressing "C". (Press every half second or so if
you don't...) At this point you will be given your overshoot and landing
instructions and then be handed to the SRA Controller (frequency 123.45).
From here on in you are under his control. He will do the best he
can to place you in a position to land assuming you break cloud by the
time you reach your decision height. Try to anticipate your height at the
next position and adjust your rate of descent accordingly. i.e. If you
have a 600' per minute rate of descent and you feel you will be low at
the next position add a little power for a few seconds to slow the rate
of descent then reduce the power again. This will often result in you
achieving the correct rate of 500' per minute.
Try not to make major adjustments quickly. The result will almost
always be disorientation and an accident.
If you break cloud and feel that a landing is possible please be
aware if the telephone wires short of the threshold, they are at 25 feet
and a good lesson to those who try a shallow approach.
On a successful landing you can contact Odiham Tower for
instructions on 124.45 (I've kept the frequency changing simple.) He will
give you instructions and tell you to call him when you reach 33 squadron's
hangar. Wait until you are almost alongside the hangar before contacting
the Tower again or you will continue to get Tower's greeting message. If you
get the greeting message just keep pressing the "C" key till the message
changes.
I wish you luck and enjoyable instrument flying.......
FLTTRN.MOD
++++++++++
For the less adventurous there is the flight training mode. I
have removed the clouds so that you can see where you are etc. You will
start this mode 7 miles from touchdown on runway heading and on the
centerline. (None of those pesky 180 degree turns...)
The instructions for this mode are the same as above but you
can see what is happening to you so it is less confusing.
Avoid the temptation to make your own corrections from your
visual cues, allow the controller to do his job. When you feel
comfortable with this mode try the ODISRA mode.
The same rules apply in this mode as in ODISRA.MOD in terms
of how to react to instructions. If you follow the instructions you
should be ok. (If I can land anyone can, believe me!!!!)
