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For anyone looking for tips, tricks, or techniques from a CRJ pilot to get the most out of your simulation I'll answer whatever you may have.


Matthew2312

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Hello all, I've been lurking around a couple of youtube streams including the highly entertaining and enjoyable @BritishAvgeek (you all should really tune into his streams and channel by the way. Big giveaway this weekend for those who don't own the jet yet) helping people out with some of the CRJ's quirks. But I've decided to have a place if somebody wants to ask a question that maybe I haven't seen on the streams or haven't been able to answer. I'm currently making a quick RNAV approach with CANPA procedures video to help with some of you who may be a bit lost as to how to fly an RNAV approach in this jet. If anyone has any questions at all about the aircraft feel free to ask them here and I'll answer them to the best of my ability. 

-Matt 

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Here we go. An RNAV approach with CANPA procedures. For those of you who want to have a chart to help you out I am flying the RNAV 10R at KMRY.

 

Some FAQ's for you.

 

Why did I use the LNAV minimums instead of the LNAV/VNAV or LPV? 

Because I do not have any vertical guidance.

 

Why did you set your MDA to 1030 instead of 980?

            So this is probably something most people that fly in simulation only don't know. While you can never go below the MDA on an approach without having either the approach lights or runway environment in sight you can fly below a DA (think ILS) without either of those two things in sight as long as it is in the process of beginning a go around. Now we fly our non-precision approaches as if they were ILS's by using a DA where we either see the approach lights to continue or begin a go around. Remember that at no point can we descend lower then our MDA as this is a LNAV only approach. So in order for us to avoid going lower then the MDA of 980 we begin our go around procedure at 1030 giving us 50 feet to begin climbing again. We call this number our DDA, Derived Decision Altitude, and it is as simple as adding 50ft to your MDA (note I believe there are approaches in europe where they have already done this for you, just look for the letters CDFA in the minimums box)

 

Why are you descending at 1500fpm between fixes?

           It is better to get as low as possible as early as possible when performing this type of approach as the aircraft needs to be configured and stable at your approach speed before the FAF in order for it to work.

 

Why 800fpm for the final approach segment?

          So this is based off of our ground speed (not airspeed) once we are at our approach speed, notice how once I got the speed stabilized at approach speed I looked at my GS then went to the chart. My ground speed was just over 150kts so looking at our approach chart I can see that for a GS of 140 my required V/S would be 743FPM and at 160kts it would be 849FPM splitting the difference between those two will give me an approx 800fpm descent rate to begin at the FAF to bring us on the published path to the runway.

 

Why did you start your final descent 0.3nm before the FAF?

          This is so the aircraft begins descending at 800FPM at the FAF, remember the aircraft will not instantly start descending when you spin in the V/S. This is how we actually do it.

 

Now for some quick gotchas to keep an eye out for. Once you are on your final altitude before starting your descent at FAF you need to set your missed approach altitude. If you don't the aircraft will not begin to descend when you select V/S and spin in your rate. If your missed approach altitude is the same as the Altitude before the FAF or lower then it you will need to set a higher altitude then you are currently at then reset that altitude bug once you descend through what will be your missed approach altitude.

 

Any other questions feel free to ask. Kudos to whomever can tell me why I was able to continue the approach below the MDA even though I didn't have the actual runway in sight and just how low I could go without seeing the runway. 

 

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Interesting stuff. Thanks for all the help you’ve been offering in streams recently, I’ve seen you in quite a few since release (assuming you’re MP). I love the CRJ it’s a proper “pilots aeroplane”, it’s been great to get away from airbus automation for a while and learn some airmanship and new skills.

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8 hours ago, Matthew2312 said:

why I was able to continue the approach below the MDA even though I didn't have the actual runway in sight and just how low I could go without seeing the runway. 

Paraphrasing, but you were in a stable descent for a normal landing, visibility was (presumably) above published minimums for the approach and you had the approach lights in sight. You can go down 100 feet below MDA with the approach lights in sight. To continue and land at that point, you have to have the runway environment in sight. For approach lights, that would require the terminating bars or the red side bars. Otherwise, you have to have the threshold, threshold markings or lights, REIL, VASI, TDZ/markings, the runway or runway markings in sight.

 

Great video--thanks for taking the time to put it together and publish it. I was just about to ask why you set the MDA to 1030 (which was also the circle to land MDA), when I found your post with all of the details.

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On 3/23/2021 at 11:11 AM, Matthew2312 said:

Kudos to whomever can tell me why I was able to continue the approach below the MDA even though I didn't have the actual runway in sight and just how low I could go without seeing the runway.

 

Runway environment / lights were in sight, so can continue down to 100' above TDZE. I do wish MSFS could simulate low visibility, low RVR foggy weather conditions. Really need a proper way to set visibility, such as a slider! Thanks for the great video and tips @Matthew2312

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On 3/23/2021 at 11:11 AM, Matthew2312 said:

Why did I use the LNAV minimums instead of the LNAV/VNAV or LPV? 

Because I do not have any vertical guidance.

 

Curious if many of the real world CRJ-900/1000 NextGen operators purchased the WASS LPV option for the avionics. Maybe this could be an option for the -900 / -1000 sim upgrade!

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2 hours ago, JuiceBox7535 said:

 

Curious if many of the real world CRJ-900/1000 NextGen operators purchased the WASS LPV option for the avionics. Maybe this could be an option for the -900 / -1000 sim upgrade!

I only know of two that do. Granted there isn’t that many operators of the 900 and 1000 but it doesn’t look like it’s all that popular.

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@Matthew2312 Hello! I think I've seen you in the chat during a couple of streams. Thank you for your detailed insight!

 

I wonder if you can describe any further ways in which pilots would use the FIX page (other than making radius rings for descent reminders) in day to day operations? For example is it possible to set up an extended centreline for circle to land/visual approaches or is that usually dealt with using DIR INTC. 

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On 3/23/2021 at 3:32 PM, Matthew2312 said:

Hello all, I've been lurking around a couple of youtube streams including the highly entertaining and enjoyable @BritishAvgeek (you all should really tune into his streams and channel by the way. Big giveaway this weekend for those who don't own the jet yet) helping people out with some of the CRJ's quirks. But I've decided to have a place if somebody wants to ask a question that maybe I haven't seen on the streams or haven't been able to answer. I'm currently making a quick RNAV approach with CANPA procedures video to help with some of you who may be a bit lost as to how to fly an RNAV approach in this jet. If anyone has any questions at all about the aircraft feel free to ask them here and I'll answer them to the best of my ability. 

-Matt 

Matt thanks very much! Glad you enjoy the streams and videos!

 

It's awesome having you in the chat - I've learnt a LOT about the CRJ thanks to your knowledge and willingness to explain during the stream in the live chat too!

 

I've uploaded a bit of a VOR tutorial for the CRJ today in the channel focussing on the basics so I hope I didn't make too many mistakes! 😂

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1 hour ago, BobbyFuzzy said:

@Matthew2312 Hello! I think I've seen you in the chat during a couple of streams. Thank you for your detailed insight!

 

I wonder if you can describe any further ways in which pilots would use the FIX page (other than making radius rings for descent reminders) in day to day operations? For example is it possible to set up an extended centreline for circle to land/visual approaches or is that usually dealt with using DIR INTC. 

So we use the FIX page for single engine departure procedures if it mentions a DME to execute a turn at. I personally use it to mark a 3 mile final as a visual point to be configured and at 1000ft AFE at. In terms of visual approaches we will use an actual visual approach in the arrival and departure page of the FMS (note this isn’t currently simulated in the aerosoft CRJ) if we aren’t using another instrument approach as a guide (We do this in KSBA as they like to have a pretty interesting noise abatement procedure for landings there when the weather is good.) if I can remember to I’ll try to take a picture of this type of approach tomorrow morning so you can see what it looks like. For extending the centerline we almost always use the DIR INTC page with an INTC course. In terms of circling approaches we aren’t allowed to do those unless we are in fully VMC conditions and in that case we would just set up for a visual runway we intended to land on and fly a traffic pattern as opposed to flying a circling approach.

 

A few other things I use the rings for would be enroute alternates which are defined to us as XX miles East/west/north/south of whatever fix on our flight plan divert to here instead. And descent planing into small outstations, I can make a 30 mile ring around my destination, grab the exact point my flight plan intersects that ring, insert that point into my legs page then put an altitude crossing restriction in there at 10,000 ft above the field elevation to help plan our descents.

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Just to add to what Matt said, I'll also use it if ATC says, "Report XXXXX fix inbound". I draw a circle around it as a mental reminder, in case we get distracted with other stuff. For those that are approved for circling approaches, it is great for drawing a ring depicting the protected airspace when in the circle (such as 1.7 nm, etc). For extending the centerline on the runway you are circling to, you can load the visual to the other runway, but not press EXEC. That way it is drawn as a dotted line for reference (can't remember how this works in the sim, and not familiar with the real CRJ). Then if you have to go missed you just press Cancel Mod, and have the original missed approach procedure still ready to go. You would have to set it up early, as that is a lot of button pushing on an already busy procedure.   

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  • 1 month later...

Great video. I was searching a way to fly a RNAV approach with the CRJ, thanks a lot.

I have a question about triggering the VS :

Quote

Now for some quick gotchas to keep an eye out for. Once you are on your final altitude before starting your descent at FAF you need to set your missed approach altitude. If you don't the aircraft will not begin to descend when you select V/S and spin in your rate. If your missed approach altitude is the same as the Altitude before the FAF or lower then it you will need to set a higher altitude then you are currently at then reset that altitude bug once you descend through what will be your missed approach altitude.

 

On a short trainning fly from/to the same airport I was able to activate It. But after a full flight (with a flight plan, perf set in the FMS), I was fully configured for the approach (with target altitude set 2000ft above the interception altitude) and when I set the VS mode, the autopilot was indicating in green the VS mode with the correct rate but the plane was staying at the interception altitude. I don't know if I missed something. I there a configuration to activate on the autopilot after a VNAV descent to "switch" to this approach mode ?

Do you think there is a workaround in this case other than flyging the approach manually ;) ?

 

 

 

 

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On 5/12/2021 at 12:49 AM, eynoz35 said:

Great video. I was searching a way to fly a RNAV approach with the CRJ, thanks a lot.

I have a question about triggering the VS :

 

On a short trainning fly from/to the same airport I was able to activate It. But after a full flight (with a flight plan, perf set in the FMS), I was fully configured for the approach (with target altitude set 2000ft above the interception altitude) and when I set the VS mode, the autopilot was indicating in green the VS mode with the correct rate but the plane was staying at the interception altitude. I don't know if I missed something. I there a configuration to activate on the autopilot after a VNAV descent to "switch" to this approach mode ?

Do you think there is a workaround in this case other than flyging the approach manually ;) ?

 

 

 

 

Interesting. As long as you have a different altitude set then your current you are doing it correctly. Only possible work around for that bug would be recycling the V/S mode. Either by pressing it again to put it in PITCH and then once more to put it back in to V/S. Or by pressing ALT and then V/S again to try to reset the logic.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Right, after switching to PITCH and VS again it works.

I fly a lot of RNAV approach with the CRJ now, thanks :)

 

Also the last 1.0.3.0 version seems to solve many problems.

 

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Hi Matthew,

 

A question for you: when I import a flight plan from SimBrief, it comes with departure and arrival runways. The arrival part is separated from the rest of the route by a discontinuity. I usually close that discontinuity during cruise in oder to see my complete route in the Nav Display. 

 

Sometimes (too often!) ATC gives me another runway for landing. I then look up that runway on the DEP/ARR, pick a transition and hit EXE. I usually end up with all kinds of confusing weite lines drawn on my Nav Display. 

 

How is this done correctly? Mus I first manually delete all entries relating to the old approach before setting up the new arrival runway/transition? 

 

Thanks and regards,

Hans

 

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9 hours ago, StanTGM said:

Hi Matthew,

 

A question for you: when I import a flight plan from SimBrief, it comes with departure and arrival runways. The arrival part is separated from the rest of the route by a discontinuity. I usually close that discontinuity during cruise in oder to see my complete route in the Nav Display. 

 

Sometimes (too often!) ATC gives me another runway for landing. I then look up that runway on the DEP/ARR, pick a transition and hit EXE. I usually end up with all kinds of confusing weite lines drawn on my Nav Display. 

 

How is this done correctly? Mus I first manually delete all entries relating to the old approach before setting up the new arrival runway/transition? 

 

Thanks and regards,

Hans

 

You won’t need to fully delete the flight plan in the actual aircraft. You may however have to reconnect the last waypoint on the flightplan to the first fix of the arrival. When they give us an arrival change when we are already on the arrival we will normally have to re-sequence the FMS as it will normally keep navigating direct to whatever our last fix was followed by a discontinuity.

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