PAR approaches?

[HAL Pilot]

Cat IIIc? No but we do Cat IIIb. 300 RVR with no alert altitude (DH) is enough. I believe (not 100% sure) that an autoland is required for Cat IIIb.

Autoland is required by Hawaiian but I'm not sure if required by FAA or if a pilot landing utilizing a HUD is allowed. SWA and Alaska/Horizon are the only airlines I know with HUDs and SWA only does Cat II. Even with a HUD, I don't think I'd want to manually land a CAT IIIb. We don't even bother looking outside until we're on the ground (book answer....) as both pilots are required to monitor the instruments. Heck, the real ones I've done to 300 RVR we never saw the runway anyway until the mains touched down and the nose derotated - then maybe a centerline light or two.

 

[BACONATOR]

There is a (presumably student) controller around here that somehow managed to make "above" sound exactly like "below" when giving her glidepath calls. Gave me faith in their PAR skills

Ya, I've had the student controllers at Corpus dork me up on a couple GCAs before. It's especially funny when you have a high-pitched female final controller and then all of a sudden you hear a deep man voice giving you a correction (obviously she screwed up and he fixed it), then back to female. Just watch out for those tower controllers clearing a C-12 to turn DIRECTLY in front of you from the parallel while you're on climbout.

The solution is that I have a localizer (and now an ILS in the 57!), TACAN, or VOR final approach course already dialed in with a general idea of mins in the area to get a feel for the final approach course and associated dangers, so that I can monitor myself and make sure I'm doing ok if I feel like the controller may be dorking me up a whole bunch.

 

[stalk]

Have any of you flown with that CAT IIIC ILS? The idea gives me the willies, but from what I understand the civvies do it all the time. Any input?

Flying a CAT IIIB autoland if the aircraft is equipped and the crew is trained, is a routine procedure for the airlines. The aircraft lands itself and the pilots monitor the systems.

Now a full Mode 1 ACLS to the back of a carrier, pitching deck, at night, never got routine. The Hornet was predictably more reliable than the Corsair but I've taken the "free ride" in both.

 

[S.O.B.]

Here is the real question SOB.

Why does the S have ILS and the R does not? Whatever happened to the "common cockpit" that was supposed to happen ?(along with the SuperHawk NATOPS)

I was told it was a weight issue.

 

[tlord82]

My favorite PAR approach occured when the controller asked me to help out a Trainee. He requested that I fly a "bad pass", basically jack up every call the trainee gave me. It was clear and a million so I rogered up. I had a great time overshooting his headings, turning the opposite direction, not correcting my glideslope (without getting too far off bullseye). It was good to see him provide clear, concise directions to try to get me back on and on.
Always back yourself up if you can, but I definitely trust the controller when the weather rolls in.

 

[abracadabra11]

Here is the real question SOB.

Why does the S have ILS and the R does not? Whatever happened to the "common cockpit" that was supposed to happen ?(along with the SuperHawk NATOPS)

You didn't hear? SuperHawk NATOPS is on it's way...

It seems like a bad idea to me. They're having enough trouble as it is keeping our current individual changes up to date. And there are still fairly large changes being released (i.e. IC16 for the Sierra - 80+ pages). I think the transition to the SuperHawk NATOPS will be a pain in the ass. Only time will tell...

 

[MasterBates]

It's not longer my problems (lack of ILS and SuperHawk NATOPS) but it doesn't mean I don't give a shit.

An ILS box weighs what? 20 pounds? The displays are there. I'd take a bet the wiring is probably in there, or it's compatible with the avionics bus. And it adds so much capability and safety.

Lemme also guess, no FAA Legal GPS either?

 

[abracadabra11]

It's not longer my problems (lack of ILS and SuperHawk NATOPS) but it doesn't mean I don't give a shit.

An ILS box weighs what? 20 pounds? The displays are there. I'd take a bet the wiring is probably in there, or it's compatible with the avionics bus. And it adds so much capability and safety.

Lemme also guess, no FAA Legal GPS either?

In the Sierra we definitely don't...I don't know about the Romeo.

 

[a_m]

For all you hornet guys...

I have been flying hornets equipped with civilian ILS for the last 6 months, and it's a beautiful thing.

I was told once that the Navy/Marine Corps jets are already equipped with the software and plumbing for civilian ILS. It is simply a matter of actually buying the box (only $26,000). The blues have had it for years, right?

Continue to plug your community for this. I heard a few near miss stories over the years; it seems like a jet will actually have to be put in the dirt before they pony up money for this.

From my understanding, the lack of an ILS is one of the top 3 gripes every year they pass up. Still no love yet. Being unable to do gps approaches, it really limits us to either tacan, gca, or the overhead.

 

[SDNalgene]

Ya, I've had the student controllers at Corpus dork me up on a couple GCAs before. It's especially funny when you have a high-pitched female final controller and then all of a sudden you hear a deep man voice giving you a correction (obviously she screwed up and he fixed it), then back to female. Just watch out for those tower controllers clearing a C-12 to turn DIRECTLY in front of you from the parallel while you're on climbout.

The solution is that I have a localizer (and now an ILS in the 57!), TACAN, or VOR final approach course already dialed in with a general idea of mins in the area to get a feel for the final approach course and associated dangers, so that I can monitor myself and make sure I'm doing ok if I feel like the controller may be dorking me up a whole bunch.

Come on man, with all the craziness going on at NAS Corpus the student controllers only contribute to a small part of the mayhem. I am sure you had an IP save you from yourself on nearly a daily basis when you were starting too, so don't rag on the student controllers when the same thing happens to them.

My only GCA type gripe is when I get an overly motivated controller who is constantly making calls. "Slightly above glideslope going further above above glideslope slightly left of course turn right 351 going slightly below glideslope going further below right of course turn left 346 on glideplath going slightly above now above glidepath going further above...." and I am sitting there going, damned, that was all of like 5 seconds, calm down. All in all through my time in the land of orange and white I can safely say I have screwed the controller as much if not more than they have screwed me so I am not gonna ever talk shit about "those stupid trainee controllers".

I did have one guy at Kingsville two weeks ago, obviously getting a no gyro call, who nailed it. Absolutely perfect all the way around the pattern. I checked the headings on my wet compass after he rolled me out on crosswind, downwind, and base and they were all right on the money. He got me down to mins just left of centerline. I was really impressed with how well he called the turns, and I was by no means perfect on my turns so he had to deal with my dumbass and he still got me down on the money. Would I trust a Navy final controller to get me down safely in the weather? Absolutely.

 

[FLY_USMC]

At least they fixed the radalt, baby steps.......25 years worth of baby steps!?

 

[skidkid]

Ya, I've had the student controllers at Corpus dork me up on a couple GCAs before. It's especially funny when you have a high-pitched female final controller and then all of a sudden you hear a deep man voice giving you a correction (obviously she screwed up and he fixed it), then back to female. Just watch out for those tower controllers clearing a C-12 to turn DIRECTLY in front of you from the parallel while you're on climbout.

The solution is that I have a localizer (and now an ILS in the 57!), TACAN, or VOR final approach course already dialed in with a general idea of mins in the area to get a feel for the final approach course and associated dangers, so that I can monitor myself and make sure I'm doing ok if I feel like the controller may be dorking me up a whole bunch.

I think they call that basic airmanship.

 

[BACONATOR]

Come on man, with all the craziness going on at NAS Corpus the student controllers only contribute to a small part of the mayhem. I am sure you had an IP save you from yourself on nearly a daily basis when you were starting too, so don't rag on the student controllers when the same thing happens to them.

My only GCA type gripe is when I get an overly motivated controller who is constantly making calls. "Slightly above glideslope going further above above glideslope slightly left of course turn right 351 going slightly below glideslope going further below right of course turn left 346 on glideplath going slightly above now above glidepath going further above...." and I am sitting there going, damned, that was all of like 5 seconds, calm down. All in all through my time in the land of orange and white I can safely say I have screwed the controller as much if not more than they have screwed me so I am not gonna ever talk shit about "those stupid trainee controllers".

I did have one guy at Kingsville two weeks ago, obviously getting a no gyro call, who nailed it. Absolutely perfect all the way around the pattern. I checked the headings on my wet compass after he rolled me out on crosswind, downwind, and base and they were all right on the money. He got me down to mins just left of centerline. I was really impressed with how well he called the turns, and I was by no means perfect on my turns so he had to deal with my dumbass and he still got me down on the money. Would I trust a Navy final controller to get me down safely in the weather? Absolutely.

I apologize if you read my post as too harsh. Obviously those seamen and petty officers are still learning the ropes and are bound to fuck up, as often or more than us pilots will.

I am just saying that it is good practice to have the SA to have a backup dialed in to verify yourself in addition to your GCA controller. While we shouldn't shit on these controllers, we can't put ALL our trust in them either. If they fuck up, they go home, feel bad and tuck their kids in. We die. I am just saying to be aware, always keep your SA up and have a backup.

I am positive I have fucked up and pissed off ATC on MORE than one occasion and even more than that, my IP has saved me from being a smoking hole countless times, as with any other student pilot. I am quite humble about that. I don't mean to sound "salty" by ANY means.


As for the "money" controller who put you out on all your headings properly, did he select jets?

 

[a_m]

You think too highly of yourself joboy.

 

[BACONATOR]

You think too highly of yourself joboy.

That's what the hookers keep telling me as I'm paying them.