can any one give me some tips on how to line up with the runway corectly? any help will be glad of

Craig

And just a quick tip, don't idle the power until you are sure to land on the runway (yea, believe it or not, for little me this was the problem with landing, I was so incredibly stupid)

yes craig,
i beleive i toldu the proper method for an ILS landing on MSN messenger

cheers,
ashar

A tip which you can use in FS and not real life (thanks to the pixels) is to watch the middle line of the runway. If it look straight and solid you are perfectly aligned. If not you have to turn a bit to the right or left. In that case watch how the middle line is moving.

Also, keep in mind that half a landing (even more) is a good approach. Try at first to be on the right position (coming from the right direction) early enough. That should be at least 8-9 nm if you are flying a 737. Of course you can align even in less distance from the runway but it may be difficult for you. Maybe later.

A final point which covers all is practice. I suggest that you create a situation using slew mode and save it as a new flight. Then fly it again and again until you are satisfied with the result. Then create another more difficult one and so on.

Good luck.

Another thing you hae to pay attention to is the aircraft's speed. If you fly too fast you may have not enough time for correections especially during the last stage of the landing. If, on the other hand, you fly to slow you may experience "hovering" effect. An indicated speed for final approach for the default 737 would be 140 KIAS (with 25 flaps) whilst for a Cessna you may need 65-70 KIAS (no flaps). Also avoid sudden movements.

In any case practice makes perfection.

Your figures are correct for real airplanes. However I have experienced FS2002 aircrafts behave quite lighter. For example the correct configuration for landing a 737 (at touch down) is flaps 30, Airspeed 140 KIAS and pitch up 2-3 degrees plus 2-3 more while flaring. But if you do this in FS2002 the plane will stop descending especially if fuel is almost empty. As it concerns the real life figures I want to say that I am not a real life pilot but I have gathered this information from this forum and from specification docs.

The best advice I can  give you on how to line up on the runway is.....
get yourself some RUDDERS!!!!!!!!!
(It makes a whole world of a difference!!! )

I remmeber even I've once posted a query on "proper procedures for  lining up on the runway"........

Its kinda frustrating when your all swivelling around and never achieve a proper alligment.....  you lose altidue and its fatiguing also. I understand your problem


one more thing.....
I'm going to give you and everyone else who has the same problem a very simple tip I just discovered    on how to make the final turn and end properly alligned with the runway.......

First of all, and most  important  is to learn to TRUST YOUR INTRUMENTS. (youll see what i mean in a moment)
Seems easy right? but most people have a lot trouble with this, and sometimes its the hardest to learn. youi want to go with your sense and what u see...but remmber "looks are decieving"

THIS IS WHAT I DO...
(Ofcourse we are making MANUAL LANDINGS, so never engaged the AP!! we are just going to use the selector buttons as guides

1. Have the proper ILS freq. and set  course to runway
(dont forget to have the course button selected)

2. Have the FD engaged, also set runway HDG
(dont forget to have the HDG button selected)

When coming from base leg....  look when the vertical needle on the ILS starts moving ..... this is your cue to start your bank to FINAL
(How much should you bank and when to start rolling out ot the bank so that you end up on RNWY HDG  ???)
than....Just follow the vertical needle on the FD!!!!

If you follow it .....guess what.......YES!!! you are going to end up lined up on the runway and just make small corrections!!!!!

first bank as much so that the FD is in the center of the HDI and gradually follow the FD to roll off the turn.

Ofcoure  the golden rule as always is
practice, practice practice,  but at least now you have some parameters on wich you can guide practice right?

I'm no pilot I just "discoverd" this by experimentation, wich I encourage all of you....
after all this is what  SIMULATION is all about isn't it
lets use all its advantages

I just hope I explained myself good, and it helps all of us to have better and more enjoyable landings (wich I think is the best part of flying).

Please try this and tell me how it went, post any sugestions as any feedback will be greatly apprecaiated

Juanca

Assuming you've already finished final approach with good angle, flaps, and landing speed and are at the threshold. just what I found works for me:

Cessna's: Start to flare under 30-50ft,  throttle a small bit above idle, keep nose at about 8-10 degrees, at td throttle to idle then bake. usually consistently lands at V/S(vertical speed) less than 300 ft/min, even close to 0 ft/min many times.

"Complex" planes with prop control. -see Rod Machado's complex airplane tutorials in Learning Center, also covers short landings, short and tilted runways,  fast climbs etc.

737's(and generally similar jets): 100 ft autothrottle disenage if not already. 50ft. autopilot disenage and throttle to idle and begin to flare. 40-30-20ft. raise nose to about 6 degrees, more than 9 degrees will bump the tail end. Landing V/S usualy at -300 to 0 ft/min.


If you're flying a jetliner, PMDG has some good info to download even if you don't have their plane(see "overview of flight techniques" pdf): http://www.precisionmanuals.com/downloads/type.asp?iType=19

Personally I use the FMC(pmdg or Wilco's 767) calculations for Vrefs(landing speeds) depending on current gross weight, flap angle etc.

Hope it helps.

Frank