ILS with a Sporty's 400

[TRocket]

Was doing some IR training with my instructor earlier this week, and just for fun, he had my fly an ILS approach with his Sporty's Handheld radio under the hood. It was surprisingly accurate. Got to decision height, looked up and there I was staring right down the runway. He hadn't done this with a student (or himself for that matter) before and was curious to see how well it worked. Obviously, I don't plan on doing so in "real life" but it's nice to know in a real pinch you have that as an option.

 

[Brad Z]

Where was it mounted? Seems like it would be easier to use your iPad or iPhone and fly a non precision GPS approach in a pinch.

 

[frfly172]

I used my panel on the Garmin 496 ,worked fine. Also can use the stratus panel on foreflight.

 

[TRocket]

Where was it mounted?

Mounted in my right hand, set the power and controlled my descent with with pitch, airspeed didn't really vary all that much. Was more or less just for fun, but interesting none the less. Still think I would trust that more than an ipad though. Hopefully I never have to find out.

 

[BigBadLou]

Good to know, thanks.
I have a backup battery-powered radio like that and never actually had a chance to try it out. Or should I say: I never remembered to try it out?
I always wondered how well it would work on the Nav function. I don't believe mine has GS but at least the localizer would be good to test out in VMC one day.
Thanks for the PIREP.

 

[Brad Z]

Mounted in my right hand, set the power and controlled my descent with with pitch, airspeed didn't really vary all that much. Was more or less just for fun, but interesting none the less. Still think I would trust that more than an ipad though. Hopefully I never have to find out.

If your iPad has a good GPS signal, why would you assume the handheld radio is more accurate?

 

[EminiTrader]

I have the same radio and I tested it at Cecil Field and it indeed was very accurate!

 

[tsts4]

Where was it mounted? Seems like it would be easier to use your iPad or iPhone and fly a non precision GPS approach in a pinch.

I don't disagree as long as it was above MDA mins. Otherwise seems like a good tool to have in the proverbial tool kit to give you the most options.

 

[Somedudeintn]

If your iPad has a good GPS signal, why would you assume the handheld radio is more accurate?

Not the OP, but I would trust the radio more than the iPad's GPS. I don't have a good reason to though. I also don't have one of these backup radios so if stuff hits the fan one day I may be trusting my iPad!

 

[Brad Z]

Not the OP, but I would trust the radio more than the iPad's GPS. I don't have a good reason to though. I also don't have one of these backup radios so if stuff hits the fan one day I may be trusting my iPad!

My point is neither is a certified installation, so it's a crapshoot either way. Since your iPad is out, powered up and already being used for charts, in an emergency why would you dig through your bag for a handheld radio that provides you limited situational awareness? KIS. As far as getting you down to 200 feet...if the cards are that stacked against you, well...

 

[bnt83]

My iPad GPS has flaked out more times than I can count.

 

[TheGolfPilot]

I don't carry a handheld. I often don't bring my iPad. I do have an iPhone in my pocket at all times though. In the strange event that the avionics went out I wouldn't hesitate to fly any approach without a glide slope using the iPad or iPhone gps and foreflight.

I wouldn't do it regularly but in an emergency situation I think that is a great option


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DrPappy]

Speaking of iPads (I use Foreflight), does anyone know why someone hasn't put a simulated glideslope indicator on it? Maybe some other program does, I don't know. Yes, I know it wouldn't be usable for IFR and maybe that's why. But it already knows my GPS altitude and position, it seems like a simple add-on.

 

[TRocket]

Speaking of iPads (I use Foreflight), does anyone know why someone hasn't put a simulated glideslope indicator on it? Maybe some other program does, I don't know. Yes, I know it wouldn't be usable for IFR and maybe that's why. But it already knows my GPS altitude and position, it seems like a simple add-on.

I would say liability, you know someone would try it, and a simulated glide slope on an ipad sounds like a good way to get yourself killed.

 

[petrolero]

I would say liability, you know someone would try it, and a simulated glide slope on an ipad sounds like a good way to get yourself killed.

True. And this is probably the reason. But there are plenty of questionable things we could already try with FF. We could fly in clouds with full SV, after all. We can already fly approaches with it using GPS altitude (yikes). Their HSI page already gives you every other piece of GPS-derived nav info... so I wonder why a synthetic glide slope would be beyond the pale. Or perhaps they just have bigger fish to fry.