I'm not sure why people are referring to Robert as a copilot. He's an instrument rated passenger whom Jerry is (heaven help us) "mentoring."You cannot call him a “copilot”. There is really no SOP’s there differentiating duties. just because you have someone riding along operating the radios does not constitute a copilot… at least by airline standards.
You cannot call him a “copilot”. There is really no SOP’s there differentiating duties. just because you have someone riding along operating the radios does not constitute a copilot… at least by airline standards.
Yeah, but the error he's admitting too is not the unusual attitude, or what directly caused the unusual attitude. His real error was making large adjustments to the flight attitude and then immediately fixating on the gps and completely ignoring the necessary instrument scan that should have been primary focus. He thinks his error was punching the wrong button (which is really a subtle way of blaming someone else for blocking his view)To be fair, he did say Pilot Error in the title bar.
Exactly. It's like saying you committed a driving error by tuning XM channel 6 and finding it was no longer the 60s channel, in a video featuring you having 9 shots of cheap whiskey and blowing through a red light, running over a wheelchair while the former occupant dives out of it in terror. And then, at the end, asking the wheelchair guy to say "thanks for riding along" for the benefit of your YouTube audience.Yeah, but the error he's admitting too is not the unusual attitude, or what directly caused the unusual attitude. His real error was making large adjustments to the flight attitude and then immediately fixating on the gps and completely ignoring the necessary instrument scan that should have been primary focus. He thinks his error was punching the wrong button (which is really a subtle way of blaming someone else for blocking his view)
I take the advice not to use VTF at all, and instead activate the final leg. That gives you everything good from VTF without any of the bad. Just open the flight plan, scroll down and tap the RW## fix, and hit the giant Activate Leg button. Similarly, use direct-to a fix on the approach instead of activating the approach.He's probably referring to Robert's "error" of having his hand in the way of his view when he pushed the wrong button.
BTW, I used to use the same logic as Jerry on VTF activation, in that I waited until the last minute to give it a push worried about ATC vectoring me then clearing me to fix that is removed when you push VTF. I started doing this after being burned by controllers a few times and having to recover. Using that logic the decision to activate VTF usually comes pretty late in the game. As a result, I've forgotten to do it a couple of times, during practice approaches. I do IPCs once a year and I had forgotten the VTF push while practicing a coupled approach and didn't notice it in time, as a result I blew through the final approach course. I told my instructor about this on the IPC, he said "Paul" with a pause, when he does this I usually learn something. He said that you are PIC, and if something like that happens, speak up, tell the controller he's been vectoring you and that you set up for VTF, give a heading and an instruction to intercept.
Most of these guys have no idea what pilots need to do to follow their instructions and it's good to push back when stuff like this happens. If he can't do VTF, then tell him you need a vector and need to reload the procedure. Much better to do that than have a helmet fire, plus it takes some the onus off of the pilot and puts it back on the controller. Share the pain. If I think I'm being vectored to final, I push the button now while I'm thinking about it.
@PaulS - I was activating the leg that starts with the IAF continuing inbound and just not bothering with VTF. I can do this before joining the approach course while still being vectored.
Your thoughts on downside to this and if VTF would give me any benefits?
I like keeping the fixes because at a few of the airports that I do the practice approaches into, I know they are going to ask me to report passing one of the waypoints.
Oh, I see what you are asking there, I'm flying Cirrus perspective +, all the waypoints on the final approach course are kept when you push VTF.
I am still learning the 650. I fly switching back and forth between the 430 and the 650. Both current software (as far as 430 goes current. lol).Same on the GTN 6XX/7XX unless you are running old software. Garmin fixed selecting VTF and having that remove all the waypoints some years ago now.
Depends on what he thinks the errors were and what steps he's taking to correct them. History suggest his assessment will be wrong and he will do nothing to correct them.To be fair, he did say Pilot Error in the title bar.
ATC promised us a vector to final.
Boomactivate leg
BTW, I used to use the same logic as Jerry on VTF activation, in that I waited until the last minute to give it a push worried about ATC vectoring me then clearing me to fix that is removed when you push VTF. I started doing this after being burned by controllers a few times and having to recover. Using that logic the decision to activate VTF usually comes pretty late in the game. As a result, I've forgotten to do it a couple of times, during practice approaches. I do IPCs once a year and I had forgotten the VTF push while practicing a coupled approach and didn't notice it in time, as a result I blew through the final approach course. I told my instructor about this on the IPC, he said "Paul" with a pause, when he does this I usually learn something. He said that you are PIC, and if something like that happens, speak up, tell the controller he's been vectoring you and that you set up for VTF, give a heading and an instruction to intercept.
Most of these guys have no idea what pilots need to do to follow their instructions and it's good to push back when stuff like this happens. If he can't do VTF, then tell him you need a vector and need to reload the procedure. Much better to do that than have a helmet fire, plus it takes some the onus off of the pilot and puts it back on the controller. Share the pain. If I think I'm being vectored to final, I push the button now while I'm thinking about it.
@PaulS - I was activating the leg that starts with the IAF continuing inbound and just not bothering with VTF. I can do this before joining the approach course while still being vectored.
Your thoughts on downside to this and if VTF would give me any benefits?
I like keeping the fixes because at a few of the airports that I do the practice approaches into, I know they are going to ask me to report passing one of the waypoints.
I take the advice not to use VTF at all, and instead activate the final leg. That gives you everything good from VTF without any of the bad. Just open the flight plan, scroll down and tap the RW## fix, and hit the giant Activate Leg button. Similarly, use direct-to a fix on the approach instead of activating the approach.
I think the GTNs all extend the leg you've activated out to infinity, so anywhere you intercept it will work. I don't remember if the GNS units did that and have no experience with competing products. For what it's worth, if you can make it work with the FAF-RW leg, that one is easier to find and identify than the IF-FAF leg because you don't have to know the name of the FAF.I wouldn't activate the final leg, I'd activate the one immediately prior to the FAF. That's the one you're going to be vectored onto anyway. Depending on what equipment you have, activating the final leg may or may not work correctly.
Emphasizing the fact that you always have to be under positive lateral control, once the controller begins vectoring me [therefore I am no longer under GPS control], I give my best guess estimate as to where that intercept will take place. If I have a high confidence in where ATC plans to intercept me, I will activate the leg right then and there. The leg I choose to activate is the one I am more or less pointing at. If I'm on the downwind parallel to the inbound, I'm probably waiting. If I'm headed towards an intercept but still outbound, I'm activating the leg I'm abeam. In the real example I provided (it was RNAV 28 to I93 -> https://skyvector.com/files/tpp/2304/pdf/10748R28.PDF), when the controller told me to expect vectors, there was really only one option to consider that is the leg from MCHLL to BOITE, as BOITE is the FAF and they have to vector you to intercept x miles outside the FAF (Noam said 3nm in his video but I could have sworn it was 2nm). The plane I flew was using Garmin 430W as the primary nav instrument.serious (non judgmental) question: (especially Garmin, if able)
Do you estimate from your heading which leg to activate or do you select the furthest one out, knowing you will probably shortcut to a closer one later?
If you chose the wrong leg to activate; is it difficult to cancel that and activate a different leg?
Thanks
Emphasizing the fact that you always have to be under positive lateral control, once the controller begins vectoring me [therefore I am no longer under GPS control], I give my best guess estimate as to where that intercept will take place. If I have a high confidence in where ATC plans to intercept me, I will activate the leg right then and there. The leg I choose to activate is the one I am more or less pointing at. If I'm on the downwind parallel to the inbound, I'm probably waiting. If I'm headed towards an intercept but still outbound, I'm activating the leg I'm abeam. In the real example I provided (it was RNAV 28 to I93 -> https://skyvector.com/files/tpp/2304/pdf/10748R28.PDF), when the controller told me to expect vectors, there was really only one option to consider that is the leg from MCHLL to BOITE, as BOITE is the FAF and they have to vector you to intercept x miles outside the FAF (Noam said 3nm in his video but I could have sworn it was 2nm). The plane I flew was using Garmin 430W as the primary nav instrument.
Activating legs keeps the entire flight plan whole in the Garmin 430/530/G1000 (I think 650/750 as well but it's been over a year since I've flown these). Changing anything just requires going back into flight plan page, selecting the fix you wish to activate the leg to, and menu->activate leg. If you've never done this before, I advise you to practice this in either VFR with a safety pilot or on the Garmin sim.
Had I activated vectors to final or not loaded the entire approach, each instruction would have been an incredible bear to deal with.
Also - when in doubt... ask! "Approach, Bugsmasher 123, for planning purposes, what should we expect for....."I'd like to see controllers just tell you what they are planning for you. "Expect VTF" or "Expect Initial fix".
Also - when in doubt... ask! "Approach, Bugsmasher 123, for planning purposes, what should we expect for....."
I think the GTNs all extend the leg you've activated out to infinity, so anywhere you intercept it will work. I don't remember if the GNS units did that and have no experience with competing products. For what it's worth, if you can make it work with the FAF-RW leg, that one is easier to find and identify than the IF-FAF leg because you don't have to know the name of the FAF.
Either option would have been a dozen times better than Jerry's solution of blindly pushing the wrong activate button and then trying to pull the wings off the plane by way of his wife's stomach.
I'd like to see controllers just tell you what they are planning for you. "Expect VTF" or "Expect Initial fix".
Personally, I gave up using VTF altogether in favor of activating the leg to the FAC and think it's an overall better strategy. But in your setup, where you retain the prior straight line waypoints, VTF vs activate leg doesn't really matter that much. What I think does matter is when. Upon receipt of that first vector accompanied by the words, "vectors to the final approach course," turn to the heading and do it. Even if accompanied by a descent, there's no rush because it's early, so smaller chance of error. So long as the waypoints that ATC might send you to if they change their minds are still there, there's no reason to wait any longer. And since the avionics are already set up, complying with the eventual PTAC is no different than it was with an ILS before GPS ever existed. No fuss no muss.Oh, I see what you are asking there, I'm flying Cirrus perspective +, all the waypoints on the final approach course are kept when you push VTF
Good point out how VTF is still a potential priblem, but what do you see as the issue with activate leg?The main concern I have with any of the techniques we've been discussing in this thread is - What happens when you have an approach with a turn at the FAF? For example, the RNAV(GPS) 28L KFCM.
He quoted my post about activating the leg to the RW## fix rather than the leg to the FAF. I'm also curious about what ATC typically does with the approach in question. I can't speak to that. However, the GTN 750 Xi trainer does answer one question about it: What does "Activate Vectors to Final" do when there is a turn at the FAF? Answer: It gives you an extended leg from the prior fix (HERBO) to the FAF (ELOIT).Good point out how VTF is still a potential priblem, but what do you see as the issue with activate leg?
And... what does ATC typically do with this approach?
Good point out how VTF is still a potential priblem, but what do you see as the issue with activate leg?
He quoted my post about activating the leg to the RW## fix rather than the leg to the FAF.
And... what does ATC typically do with this approach?
However, the GTN 750 Xi trainer does answer one question about it: What does "Activate Vectors to Final" do when there is a turn at the FAF? Answer: It gives you an extended leg from the prior fix (HERBO) to the FAF (ELOIT).
Best comment I heard today was someone on another pilot board suggesting a collaboration between Jerry and Trevor Jacob. Pure gold.
Even better would be to throw Gryder into the mix and call it the Three Stooges.
Oh yeah, this! I stepped in it like this not long ago at KILM - was "reluctant" to ask for vectors but did - controller was super cool, no drama, just came back with a vector while I sorted my stuff out. I'd have been better served having my buttonology better learned, but I was in a new (to me) airplane.He's probably referring to Robert's "error" of having his hand in the way of his view when he pushed the wrong button.
BTW, I used to use the same logic as Jerry on VTF activation, in that I waited until the last minute to give it a push worried about ATC vectoring me then clearing me to fix that is removed when you push VTF. I started doing this after being burned by controllers a few times and having to recover. Using that logic the decision to activate VTF usually comes pretty late in the game. As a result, I've forgotten to do it a couple of times, during practice approaches. I do IPCs once a year and I had forgotten the VTF push while practicing a coupled approach and didn't notice it in time, as a result I blew through the final approach course. I told my instructor about this on the IPC, he said "Paul" with a pause, when he does this I usually learn something. He said that you are PIC, and if something like that happens, speak up, tell the controller he's been vectoring you and that you set up for VTF, give a heading and an instruction to intercept.
Most of these guys have no idea what pilots need to do to follow their instructions and it's good to push back when stuff like this happens. If he can't do VTF, then tell him you need a vector and need to reload the procedure. Much better to do that than have a helmet fire, plus it takes some the onus off of the pilot and puts it back on the controller. Share the pain. If I think I'm being vectored to final, I push the button now while I'm thinking about it.
Believe me it's not just you. I have no idea why people continually think that flying IFR with advanced equipment they don't know is a good idea. I've seen people, even in the old pre-GPS days, get confused by where the flip-flop switch on a NAV/COM is located.Oh yeah, this! I stepped in it like this not long ago at KILM - was "reluctant" to ask for vectors but did - controller was super cool, no drama, just came back with a vector while I sorted my stuff out. I'd have been better served having my buttonology better learned, but I was in a new (to me) airplane.
Yeah. There have been a couple others where when you follow along you can see it in your minds eye that buttonology is what did them in.Believe me it's not just you. I have no idea why people continually think that flying IFR with advanced equipment they don't know is a good idea. I've seen people, even in the old pre-GPS days, get confused by where the flip-flop switch on a NAV/COM is located.
There was a fatal accident a few years ago. The NTSB report was pretty inconclusive but, having listened to the audio, I am firmly convinced it was the result of a pilot not knowing the basic 6 second task of replacing one approach with another (and this was not a last-minute change). I remember the accident for a few reasons. First, it was local. Second, it was the impetus for the short list of "GPS tasks Pilots Don't know How to Do" I use for IPCs and recurrent training.