I am currently in the middle of a huge undertaking that at times I wish I had not started, but cannot let go of. I am using ADE9X to update the approaches at many Alaskan airports to reflect the current AIRAC cycle waypoints.
Creating the waypoints is certainly not an issue. I create the "missing" waypoints in the "Approach Mode" and then connect them with the various legs available in ADE9X. Not sure where I got it, but I have a printed page with a description of what each leg type does. For the most part I have been quite successful and my list of airports in Alaska with current runway numbering, additional runways where applicable, deleted or closed runways when necessary, and current AIRAC approaches has grown to 62 fields.
However, in the process I have come to some "stumpers". I will try to use Barter Island as my example, specifically the RNAV approach to runway 7, but some of the questions are from other fields and after doing 62 of them it is difficult to remember which field presented which issues, so please bear with me.
Concerning Barter Island (PABA) and many if not all simple RNAV approaches. The approach resembles a "T" in design. The approach runs from HULKS (the Initial Fix-IF) to IYAPI to KNARS to JESOT. JESOT is the Missed Approach (MAP) point. The MAP proceeds to "Climb straight ahead to 2,000 feet" direct to DEVKE and hold at DEVKE. There are three Initial Approach Fixes (IAF) listed on the chart; KOKBE, HULKS (also the IF remember), and LEPGE. Using existing stock airport as a "guide" of sorts I have realized the IAFs are typically considered as Transitions in "Approach Mode". I have added all these waypoints as Terminal Waypoints since none existed in either FSX or FS2004. KOKBE is to the North and LEPGE to the South of HULKS.
Question 1...There is a 4 nm hold at HULKS inbound on 071 degrees and right hand turns at 2,000 feet. After adding the waypoints, the approach, and the missed approach legs, I started adding the transitions, beginning with the one at HULKS. I created an "IF" leg at HULKS followed by an "HA" leg at HULKS. I then added the LEPGE and KOKBE Transitions, both beginning with an "IF" followed by a "TF" leg to HULKS. Do I need to also add an "HA" leg to each of these two Transitions or will they track to HULKS and fly the "HA" leg at HULKS? And a secondary question would be where does the hold belong in the first place? Is it the beginning of the approach or the end of the transition?
Question 2...I cannot recall which airport it was at, but in an VORDME approach I built the VOR was very close and left of the runway. The missed approach on the chart looked like a figure eight that overflew the VOR and ended up back at the VOR. I think the description of the MAP was something like "Right turn to intercept the 059 degree DME radial outbound , climbing left turn to 2,000 feet, re-intercept the 059 Radial inbound to the VOR and hold at the VOR. I do not recall the exact leg types I used, but I know they did not look like the perfect figure eight in the diagram. I believe I used a "CR" to reach the 059 radial outbound, a "CA" to reach the MAP altitude and turn to the left (but it only lets me turn 180 degrees, not back to the radial), another "CR" to get back to the 059 radial, a "DF" to the VOR, and an "HM" to terminate the MAP in a hold. Looks ugly in sim, but accomplishes what I needed to do.
Question 3...Really this could be a tertiary to question 1 also. I noticed some of the default Transitions resembled that same similar "T" of a simple RNAV approach, with the center fix being an IF/IAF and the left and right fixes being just IAFs. In many cases the left and right fixes had "IF" legs, but the center IF/IAF fix did not. This always resulted on the screen as a red arrow poointing due north. Remember, these are default "when FS2004 and FSX were created" transitions. I always begin my created Transitions with an "IF", even the IF/IAF ones, but I got to thinking, by doing so am I forcing FSX or FS2004 aircraft to fly two transitions when using those type approaches? Is that why the center "default" fixes don't have an "IF" leg? If so, what does that North-pointed red area do if I try to follow the approach with the default GPS?
I am sure I'll have more questions as this project continues, but for now I'll leave it here. A tutorial on making approaches, missed approaches, and transitions would help immensely, but I have yet to find a good one that answers any "detailed" questions.
Randy
Creating the waypoints is certainly not an issue. I create the "missing" waypoints in the "Approach Mode" and then connect them with the various legs available in ADE9X. Not sure where I got it, but I have a printed page with a description of what each leg type does. For the most part I have been quite successful and my list of airports in Alaska with current runway numbering, additional runways where applicable, deleted or closed runways when necessary, and current AIRAC approaches has grown to 62 fields.
However, in the process I have come to some "stumpers". I will try to use Barter Island as my example, specifically the RNAV approach to runway 7, but some of the questions are from other fields and after doing 62 of them it is difficult to remember which field presented which issues, so please bear with me.
Concerning Barter Island (PABA) and many if not all simple RNAV approaches. The approach resembles a "T" in design. The approach runs from HULKS (the Initial Fix-IF) to IYAPI to KNARS to JESOT. JESOT is the Missed Approach (MAP) point. The MAP proceeds to "Climb straight ahead to 2,000 feet" direct to DEVKE and hold at DEVKE. There are three Initial Approach Fixes (IAF) listed on the chart; KOKBE, HULKS (also the IF remember), and LEPGE. Using existing stock airport as a "guide" of sorts I have realized the IAFs are typically considered as Transitions in "Approach Mode". I have added all these waypoints as Terminal Waypoints since none existed in either FSX or FS2004. KOKBE is to the North and LEPGE to the South of HULKS.
Question 1...There is a 4 nm hold at HULKS inbound on 071 degrees and right hand turns at 2,000 feet. After adding the waypoints, the approach, and the missed approach legs, I started adding the transitions, beginning with the one at HULKS. I created an "IF" leg at HULKS followed by an "HA" leg at HULKS. I then added the LEPGE and KOKBE Transitions, both beginning with an "IF" followed by a "TF" leg to HULKS. Do I need to also add an "HA" leg to each of these two Transitions or will they track to HULKS and fly the "HA" leg at HULKS? And a secondary question would be where does the hold belong in the first place? Is it the beginning of the approach or the end of the transition?
Question 2...I cannot recall which airport it was at, but in an VORDME approach I built the VOR was very close and left of the runway. The missed approach on the chart looked like a figure eight that overflew the VOR and ended up back at the VOR. I think the description of the MAP was something like "Right turn to intercept the 059 degree DME radial outbound , climbing left turn to 2,000 feet, re-intercept the 059 Radial inbound to the VOR and hold at the VOR. I do not recall the exact leg types I used, but I know they did not look like the perfect figure eight in the diagram. I believe I used a "CR" to reach the 059 radial outbound, a "CA" to reach the MAP altitude and turn to the left (but it only lets me turn 180 degrees, not back to the radial), another "CR" to get back to the 059 radial, a "DF" to the VOR, and an "HM" to terminate the MAP in a hold. Looks ugly in sim, but accomplishes what I needed to do.
Question 3...Really this could be a tertiary to question 1 also. I noticed some of the default Transitions resembled that same similar "T" of a simple RNAV approach, with the center fix being an IF/IAF and the left and right fixes being just IAFs. In many cases the left and right fixes had "IF" legs, but the center IF/IAF fix did not. This always resulted on the screen as a red arrow poointing due north. Remember, these are default "when FS2004 and FSX were created" transitions. I always begin my created Transitions with an "IF", even the IF/IAF ones, but I got to thinking, by doing so am I forcing FSX or FS2004 aircraft to fly two transitions when using those type approaches? Is that why the center "default" fixes don't have an "IF" leg? If so, what does that North-pointed red area do if I try to follow the approach with the default GPS?
I am sure I'll have more questions as this project continues, but for now I'll leave it here. A tutorial on making approaches, missed approaches, and transitions would help immensely, but I have yet to find a good one that answers any "detailed" questions.
Randy
