Airbus X: How to make an Autoland

Do not use this for real world flying! This is for simulation only!

This guide will teach you how to make an ILS Landing in the Aerosoft Airbus X. It’ll show you

how to get the Airbus to an Airport without any manual flying required. This will not teach

you how to fly a real Airbus. These are the procedures I use to land the aircraft

automatically. I can’t guarantee that this is what’s done in the real Airbus as I’m not a

professional Airbuspilot.

This guide requires that you have basic knowledge about the systems of the Airbus X and

how to operate the Autopilot.

Anyway I hope that this guide will help you to fly Aerosoft’s Airbus X using an ILS.

We begin our tutorial at the MIQ NDB in the north of Munich (EDDM). When we look into

the Chart for the ILS for runway 08L we can see that we have to fly HGD 227 from the NDB

until we reach Radial 129 of the WALDA VOR (112.80 WLD). When reaching this radial we

need to turn to HDG 137 until we’re 18.5 miles from WALDA. There we’ll turn to heading 082

which is the runway heading. When reaching the waypoint MAGAT we’ll intercept the

Glideslope 12 miles from the airport. MSA is 3200 feet.

So, how do we do this in “the Bus”?

The first thing to do is programming the MCDU. To do that you’ll have to click on PERF

button and then you have to enter all the data’s it asks for. You can get them from the ATIS

which is on 123.125 in Munich. After entering all the information required the FMS will have

calculated your approach and landing speeds.

First of all we have to get to the NDB. You can do this on two ways: First of all you can enter

“MIQ” in the MCDU on the F-PLN. The other way would be that you could enter 426 in the

ADF1 system located in the MDCU on the NAV RAD page. Anyway, I’d suggest you to do

both, entering the frequency in the ADF1 and programming the MCDU, because it’ll be

easier to fly that way. When we are in the NAV RAD page already we can also enter the ILS

frequency of runway 08L. To do that you’ll have to write 110.30 in the ILS frequency. After

that you should enter 082 into the course window under the ILS frequency.

If we have done that we’ll see a green needle in the Navigation Display pointing towards the

NDB and it will also show a green line towards the NDB. Now we will need to fly towards the

NDB. We are going to fly with the Autopilot engaged until we’ve landed on the runway.

To tell the Autopilot to fly to the NDB you have to push the second button from the left (The

one used for entering the heading. Now the autopilot’s display should show 3 yellow lines

instead of the heading. Also you should see “NAV” in the PFD.

If you don’t have entered MIQ in the Flight plan page you’ll need to pull the heading button

and then you have to turn the heading on which the green ADF needle in pointing to into the

window. Then the Airbus will also fly towards the NDB.

The next thing we have to do is entering the WALDA NDB in the VOR2 which can also be

located in the NAV RAD page. You can do this with both writing WLD or 112.80 in the

Scratchpad and pressing the LSK 1R to enter it into the VOR2 radio.

When the VOR is located you have to watch the needle going towards heading 129. When it

reaches this radial you must enter 137° in the autopilot and then the plane should turn to

that new heading.

The next step is watching the DME window above the VOR needle. When it reaches 18.5 you

enter 082 in the autopilot and turn there. You should press the LS button (left from the flight

director button) and arm the LOC now. Shortly before you reach the new heading the

autopilot will intercept the localizer and keep the runway heading (Don’t worry if it won’t do

so in the beginning. This function is not perfectly programmed which is why the Airbus may

need some time until it gets perfectly aligned with the runway). You can also engage the

second autopilot now. The FMC Window should look like this now:

(Please ignore the 4000 in the altitude window, this picture was taken during an approach

towards Frankfurt am Main where the altitude during the intercept is 4000. In your bus it

should show 5000).

The next thing which is important is entering the DMN VOR into the VOR2. After doing that

you have to monitor the distance from the runway and the glideslope. When the glideslope

(GS) is one point above the line (in the right of the PFD) you can arm the APP button. Also

you should take the flaps to 2 now. (! First take the Flaps to 1+F and let the aircraft slow

down, otherwise you may exceed the maximum speed limit for the Flaps and your aircraft

might get damaged!)

When the GS is intercepted you should descent with about -740 feet per minute.

When you’re descending you need to reduce the speed and should raise the flaps as it’s

indicated in the PFD. The flaps should be at their full position when you’re about 5 miles

from the runway where the outer marker (OM) stands. Also the spoilers should get armed

now. When seeing the OM indication in the Primary Flight Display you should run the Final

Checklist. According to the Airbus Manual you have to check that the Autothrottle is in

Speed mode or OFF. The next item are the Altimeters. If they indicate the same pressure

level (which will ALWAYS be the case when flying Aerosoft’s Airbus X) you can go to the next

item. This are the Autobrakes. Set MIN on them. The last thing we need to check is if the

Landing memories on the ECAM are all green.

The ECAM will look like this if you’re all right:

When the checklist is completed you’ll monitor the approach until you’re 1000ft above the

airport. When reaching this altitude most airlines require that the approach is stable and so

we do this either. If it isn’t you should go around and fly back to the NDB and repeat the

approach.

If we’re stable we can continue the approach. The next thing which is important is that when

the decision hight is reached you must be able to see the runway. If not you must go around.

This is the point where the Pilot flying says “land”.

Now you should hear the callouts 100, 50, 40, 30, RETARD (This is where you pull the trust

levers back to IDLE), 20 and finally 10. The autopilots section in the PFD should look like that

now:

And after touchdown like that:

Now apply reversers and slow the aircraft down to 70 knots. When reaching this speed take

the throttles back to IDLE and start braking manually until the aircraft comes to a complete

stop.

That’s that, congratulations you have just performed your first Autoland in the Airbus X.

That wasn’t so difficult, was it? Just remember that you have to stay in practice with your

manual landings, because in the end you are the pilot!

Do not use this for real world flying! This is for simulation only!