Approach ATC Tips

ATC
#1

The community has been great with the tutorials for pilots and ATC with ground and tower. However, I am not finding much as far as approach/departure. When I have been flying I have been finding regions with approach frequencies so as I fly I can listen in and see how others do it.

I am wanting to try out approach on the playground but was looking for any advice. Tips, common procedures, etc. Are their common altitudes to use, etc. Do I try to get planes to hit the ILS intercept at a slight angle? Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your time.

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#2

Well as far as I know you try to let the planes intercept the ILS at 3000’ AGL right at the beginning of the red triangle :). Interception speed should not be higher than 210 kt. The moment they reach the glide slope hand them off to Tower. Also important is sequencing the airplanes in a nice line although that requires lots of practice. If you want to you can try yourself as an approach ATC on me. If you’re interested just PM me

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#3

Yep that’s mostly how I do it, although I’m handing off to tower when established.

#4

I’ve tried it a few times and found it to be really hard work. I can’t quite figure how to tell which bearing planes should go on. As an example is 000 degrees due North or the bearing you take going to straight on? Not sure if that makes sense!

#5

You can pull a plane in any direction on the map and it will tell you what bearing that would be. Also you have a green compass on your screen that you can pull over the plane and find out about the bearing

#6

Ta, I’ve got it, I think I was being dense and trying to overthink it! Might explain why I got lost in a whiteout a few years ago in the Cairngorms. Found my way out eventually but not after going in a circle a few times!

#7

I’ll have my speed around 150-160kts until 4-5NM DME and reduce it then to landing speed of around 135-140kts. Common practice in real world aviation and adds realism for me. Of course you have to adjust your speed to the current traffic and ATC instructions. But if Approach controller has good spacing technique, you can make use of that quite some time. It doesn’t really make sense if you are already at 135kts 10NM DME. Traffic gets clustered for Tower and Approach and you need to vacate the runway quicker. Just some experience I had.

#8

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#9

when is the best time to activate flaps? above 10000 or below?

#10

Flaps are less about altitude and more about speed. Yes, altitude does factor into that, but so does weight. I’d say above 220 kts, flaps up. I usually go flaps 1 at 200 kts and flaps 5 at 190 kts.

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#11

I know it depends also on the aircraft but now i’ve got the picture thanks

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#12

Also depends on weight and balance plus weather variables.

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#13