Should I LOAD or ACTIVATE the approach? - Garmin G1000 demo - May 2017

Flight instructor Jim Pitman explains the difference between loading and activating an approach on the Garmin G1000 in a Cessna 206.
FlywithJim.com

[@TemplarsWildFire]

I'm limited to desk jockying sim flying due to health issues, but have been trying to figure out ILS approaches for quite a while and keep banging my head. Thanks for this great explanation. PS, lived in Poky for 12 years and am now 90 miles north of it. Great to see the town represented! :)

[@kabaddiify]

Wao! And just like that I know now what those two meant. I was getting confused with activate vectors to final vs loading the approach

[@FlywithJim]

Happy to help 🙂

[@DJSean00]

Agreed, thank you very helpful!

[@EatPezzzz]

I still don't get it. You said if you LOAD the approach, it loads it at the end of your existing flight plan. If my flight plan is ABC to XYZ and I load the RNAV5 at XYZ to the flight plan, is it ABC - XYZ - RNAV5? Of course, that makes no sense, but I've fought with my navigator before for doing things that make no sense.

[@FlywithJim]

Correct. With all of the navigators I've used, you would see ABC - XYZ - RNAV5. Some will include a "discontinuity" between XYZ and RNAV5 and other will simply connect a straight line between the two. It's up to the pilot to select the correct transition and/or vectors-to-final depending on the clearance/scenario.

[@tubeslats]

Vectors to final requires vectors from ground controller, right? Meaning it is not direct to final approach fix via GPS, correct?

[@TheLucasHiggins]

tubeslats the approach controller will vector you to intercept the approach course then clear you for the approach.

[@jeffs5927]

Does "activating the approach" change your CDI sensitivity from terminal to approach mode?

[@jeffs5927]

or... does it "allow" this to happen, assuming you are within 2nm of FAF?

[@FlywithJim]

It's two different things. The approach being "active" simply means your active waypoint is either an IAF or the FAF on the published approach. For the GPS to do that, it must successfully complete a series of self-tests. Similar checks must be completed for the GPS to change scaling from terminal mode to approach mode. That will start no later than 2 NM prior to the FAF. On most modern GPS units, this all happens automatically as you fly the flight plan. Most early GPS units (before about 2005) required pilots to push a button to "Activate the approach" and too many (old-timer) instructors are still teaching pilots that they need to do something for this, which causes a lot of confusion. On a modern GPS like the GNS430 or G1000, all you need to do is make sure the flight plan sequences to the published approach waypoints and the CDI scaling changes before the FAF. This means the approach is active 👍

[@ericc7936]

how far from destination does one activate approach?

[@FlywithJim]

It depends on the scenario. Activating the approach will change the active GPS waypoint to the selected IAF / transition for the approach. If you are cleared to that fix, then go ahead and activate.

[@swarajsandhu]

So why load it at all? Why not just select and activate when cleared for the approach?

[@FlywithJim]

You're certainly welcome to do that. Good SRM dictates preparing as much as possible before getting cleared. Loading the approach during low-workload time gives the pilot the opportunity to verify all of the waypoints and trap errors before they occur.

[@eastsidedirtykid]

Activate seems almost like a “direct to” command

[@thiscorrosion900]

Been using the Garmin G1000 a lot in XPlane11: usually, I'm just doing direct flights to various airports, and loading whatever approach I want to do (but loading it ahead of time, usually) when I get near the arrival, and waiting till maybe 80 miles out or 120 or whatever it might be, to actually activate it. This is usually following an RNAV GPS approach, sometimes ILS. What it does is add the full final approach sequence and re-aligns your plane for that course, as soon as you activate. So all you have to do is fly that course in, or let the GPS and AP fly you in, direct, and then once you hit the IAF you'll be automatically turned in base to final, and the approach proper will start. But you have to be at the published altitude for the IAF or FAF by that time, and hit the APR arm button, or the approach will not fully engage. But it's a great way of setting up a foolproof approach and takes a lot of the guesswork and worry out of a particular approach. This is especially useful when it's a place like Telluride CO. I did a flight there tonight and it was so overcast coming in, final 30 miles, it really helps to use the ILS or RNAV approaches there.

[@FlywithJim]

Yes. Activate will go direct to the selected IAF or FAF (for Activate Vectors to Final).

[@AM-tf7sd]

It’s tricky not really clear to understand