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Simulated IFR in the RV-12

Tony_T

Well Known Member
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This thread is not intended to advocate for IFR flying in the -12. That topic has been covered in great detail already. What I’d like to show is “make-believe” IFR using the basic Skyview panel, either single screen or dual screen.

So, this is for fun and education, not for flying IFR.

Some have discussed installing an expensive IFR navigator. Basically, besides the cost, there isn’t room for it or electrical capability for it on the legacy -12. However, using the iPad and FF, one can effectively simulate loading an IFR approach onto the SV very similar to loading an approach from a navigator.

As you know, the Dynon data base does not include approaches. Foreflight does though, and you can upload a flight plan including approaches to the Dynon very similar as you would from a navigator. Also, if you have the Seattle Avionics charts and plates on a USB stick in the Dynon port you can load the approach plate on your primary or second screen. Then you can watch the little magenta airplane fly the approach overlaid on the plate. You can see that on the iPad too, but only if you have the Professional FF subscription.

Here is the iPad with a flight plan including an approach. Just put in a beginning and destination. Then pick an approach using the Procedure button and add it to the flight plan. All the fixes are put on the map, you don’t need to enter them separately.

i-dxmTCqM-XL.png


Next, upload the flight plan to the SV using the SV wi-fi. The SV map will show the route and approach fixes just like it appears on the iPad. The hold entry at ZOLGI will be shown in gray and the AP won’t fly that, you would have to fly the hold by hand.

To do this with the AP, you will need to be familiar with the expert mode.

This next pic is my right screen and shows Iron Mike flying the flight plan. I have the PFD and MAP with flight plan on the primary screen.

i-gz4kPhv-L.png


Now Mike has turned the corner at ZOLGI and is tracking toward the FAF at CEBOD.

i-zzm2dHW-L.png


Time to descend to the crossing altitude at CEBOD. SV can’t control the descent, you must manage that manually. Set the new altitude, push the nose down button and manage the VS using the VS bug until you have the cyan arc hovering at CEBOD — and etc. to continue to your minimums.

You can do this with one screen as well. Just figure out a way to manage it easily. And it is pretty easy.

I have an instrument rating but am not current and don’t plan to be again at this point in my life. This just occasionally adds a little spice to my VFR flights!

Comments welcome -- be kind all you hard IFR drivers.
 
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If you are instrument rated I think it’s a great idea to shoot approaches VFR with what ever resources you normally fly with. It is valuable to practice the procedures and if you ever get caught in a VMC-to-IMC situation you will have some idea of how viable an emergency use of your resources will be in shooting an approach.
 
Hi Tony, great post! As an ex-CFII, not instrument current since 1993, I really missed out on flying IFR with our modern GA panels. I was looking into installing the new Garmin 175 navigator into my RV-12 panel, but I just kept hitting roadblocks and it made no sense to continue. I just want to fly approaches for fun and the experience, so I am doing the same as you. I upped my foreflight capability by adding the Jepp charts, and also have the Seattle Avionics charts for my dual Dynon SkyView displays.

I 'load' the RNAV GPS approach into my foreflight flight plan, then send it to the Dynon panel and can fly it from the ipad or the panel. It's amazing having the approach plate superimposed on the moving map, like cheating! (haha). Anyway, even without an official glideslope, I feel I can get in safely almost anywhere (under VFR, for entertainment only, of course). I am just starting to explore the autopilot capabilities, but it can certainly fly the flight plan. Thanks for the screenshots!!
 
Funny you used the term that it’s like cheating. I had the exact same thought first time I used a Geo-referenced approach plate on an iPad. I put a G175 in my Cherokee and two UAVIONIX AV30-C units in place of my AI and DG. I have set up one DG page on the unit with a GPS Arc display that displays next waypoint, distance and cross track error. Now that’s REALLY cheating!😜
 
Good stuff Tony. I’ve said it before that you, Joe Gores and Mike Miller are kind of like E.F. Hutton, when you talk, people listen.
 
Correction!

I said in my original post that the SV autopilot would not fly a hold based on a Foreflight flight plan. I was wrong! I confirmed it would fly a hold yesterday.

Foreflight programs a hold with a series of waypoints designated by an H number and this is sent to the Skyview. It will look like this on the SV flight plan page:

i-JbxFVjB-L.png


Iron mike tracking Point-to-point around the racetrack:
i-zpP8mHR-L.png

i-VBkqLXw-L.png

i-sP3JrXk-L.png


This was the hold on the iPad:
i-8j895nz-L.png


In the hold:
i-x8LXsgK-L.jpg

BTW, if practicing this VFR at an IFR altitude it would be a good idea to let ATC know what you are doing.

Is this useful for a VFR pilot? I can think of a couple reasons. With the AP flying you can use the time to get organized in a pinch, or just relax and eat a sandwich. Or, even VFR, if you are talking with ATC, they could possibly ask if you can fly a hold. Unlikely, I dunno, never had it happen. In any event, it is fun and educational! I have been flying SV now for ~ five years and continue to learn more and more about it's amazing capabilities.
 
I said in my original post that the SV autopilot would not fly a hold based on a Foreflight flight plan. I was wrong! I confirmed it would fly a hold yesterday.

Foreflight programs a hold with a series of waypoints designated by an H number and this is sent to the Skyview. It will look like this on the SV flight plan page:

i-JbxFVjB-L.png


Iron mike tracking Point-to-point around the racetrack:
i-zpP8mHR-L.png

i-VBkqLXw-L.png

i-sP3JrXk-L.png


This was the hold on the iPad:
i-8j895nz-L.png


In the hold:
i-x8LXsgK-L.jpg

BTW, if practicing this VFR at an IFR altitude it would be a good idea to let ATC know what you are doing.

Is this useful for a VFR pilot? I can think of a couple reasons. With the AP flying you can use the time to get organized in a pinch, or just relax and eat a sandwich. Or, even VFR, if you are talking with ATC, they could possibly ask if you can fly a hold. Unlikely, I dunno, never had it happen. In any event, it is fun and educational! I have been flying SV now for ~ five years and continue to learn more and more about it's amazing capabilities.

Looks good Tony. Will it enter the hold on autopilot by itself? Just curious if it will figure out the proper entry technique.
 
Hold entry question

Not sure about this. I need to fly with this some more. I “think” that if you are on a published transition to the hold it will fly the correct entry. If you are being vectored or vectoring yourself then you would need to figure out a correct entry.
 
Also useful for hazy days

In addition to IFR procedures, ForeFlight now includes VFR traffic pattern entries.

I went out and practiced using the ForeFlight VFR pattern entry using the Skyview autopilot. There is an interminably long and overly chatty video of it here: https://youtu.be/ggHqnyHhWI8

It’s a pretty good feature for night or days when the haze becomes an issue. You load them in pretty much the same way you load the IFR course. They don’t involve holds or anything overly complicated but they do pretty much the same thing.
 
I still have the legacy 496 GPS and D180 that supports GPS NAV. I’m curious to know if the Skyview AP supports GPS Steering that anticipates turns as opposed to overshooting the turn point. I sometimes put in the approach waypoints and see how accurate the LNAV is. All done in VFR of course! My buddy is building a 12 with a Skyview and I’d like to let him know.
 
GPSS steering in skyview

Yes, the Skyview will “lead” turns. It also provides a countdown before each turn.

You can set each turn to turn before the waypoint (lead) or treat it as a flyover turn (begin the turn after crossing the waypoint). In my experience the “lead” turn is the default.

From the Skyview manual:

“There are two types of leg transitions. A flyby leg transition causes the aircraft to fly by the leg’s destination waypoint in order to smoothly transition from one leg to the next with no overshoot. This is the default transition type for each leg. An overfly transition causes the aircraft to fly directly over the waypoint before transitioning to the next leg. The transition type can be selected for each individual waypoint transition in the Flight Plan.”
 
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