Unable to capture ILS even in AP APPR mode on MCP

[Jan Naslund]

Hi,

I use xplane11 and I got the Flight Factor a320 Ultimate. It's a A320-214. I am quite new to it.

Made a flight EGBB-LIMF today and all was good until approach into LIMF.
 
I found no arrival charts in the Eurocontrol official chart database but i found ILS-x RWY 36 which I could use.
Problem was that when i entered it into the MCDU it gave me altitudes that would have made me crash into the mountains
 
Decided to fly it by manual autopilot. Made the descent manually to cross CSL VOR at FL130.
Entered CSL and rad 197 in the NAV/RAD page. Crossed CSL VOR at FL130 descended to 6000 on radial 197 outbound but i couldn't find how to see the DME distance to CSL. In the Dash8 and Boeing you can see them in the Flight display.

I was supposed to turn left inbound at CSL DME 18. Had no ils frequency in the MCDU either like I had before. Entered it manually.
Turned on the Landing System and entered approach mode and now i could see the distance to the ILS, not CSL.

Used that to make my inbound turn and descended to 4000. Tried to capture the loc by clicking LOC and also APPR on the MCP several times but it did not capture either the LOC or the GS.

Had to fly the ILS by heading knob and vertical descent rate. Worked out quite ok but I wonder why either the LOC or the APPR captured the localizer or the glide slope.

I had managed speed , manual hdg, manual altitude on the AP.

Any ideas anyone?

Best Regards / Jan

[Graham Woodley]

Regarding the DME reading from CSL did you have the ADF/VOR switch onto VOR?
It's located next to the LS push button.

Regarding the lack of ILS capture, maybe you were outside of the optimum capture 'funnel' of 10 degrees off the LOC path and below the GS?

I would recommend a Navigraph subscription for AIRAC and Charts, if you had programmed in the correct STAR, it would have put you at a more appropriate altitude over CSL or TOP (VEROB arrival).
By telling to go from whatever you present position was straight to the ILS approach, it would try to descend you to maybe 4000' - if you're coming from the west or NW it's likely you would encounter some terrain.

Maybe try it again with a full flightplan loaded.

[Jan Naslund]

Hi,

Thanks for answering.

As far as I know I had a full flightplan loaded. From SID exit point to STAR entry point.

I subscribe to Navigraph navdata and i normally use the Eurocontrol official charts site and it should have the latest charts. However i am considering a charts subscription as well but only to have the charts available in the Avitab so I can follow my flight in real time on the map.

I went directly to CSL after VEROB which is the same as the VEROB1B star, but i did not program that star in the MCDU. After that i programmed the ILS-X RWY 36. Because of the altitude issues I decided to use the MCP to fly the approach. Since i couldn't capture the loc or switched to the VOR frequency and used that instead.

Anyway, have to try it again some day. I must have messed up something Not 100% comfortable with the Airbus yet. Too automated for my taste.

Best Rgs / Jan