IFD 5 Series & IFD 4 Series Touch Screen GPS/NAV/COM

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GFC500

Printed From: Avidyne
Category: Avidyne General
Forum Name: IFD 5 Series & IFD 4 Series Touch Screen GPS/NAV/COM
Forum Description: Topics on Avidyne's IFD 5 Series and IFD 4 Series Touch Screen GPS/NAV/COM
URL: http://forums.avidyne.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=2720
Printed Date: 06 May 2025 at 9:33pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: GFC500

Posted By: frankbell
Subject: GFC500
Date Posted: 15 Jan 2025 at 9:09am

I'm swapping out a Garmin 530 for an IFD 540. I have a GFC500 autopilot, which works great with the 530, and I'm sure will work fine with the 540. BUT... one concern. When entering an approach in the 530, I like to set up a transition from a waypoint well out from the airport, so I can still see all the waypoints, then (on the 530) as I get vectored towards the final, transition to "vectors to final" on the 530, which allows the autopilot to join the final approach course. The 540, though, does not have that option (set vectors to final after the approach has been entered). So how do you make that work? Could do "fly leg", tho that requires being sure which leg I'm being vectored towards. What's the best solution?

Replies:

Posted By: AviSteve
Date Posted: 15 Jan 2025 at 1:19pm

You can select vectors to final when you're about to join the final. Just go back to the airport approach field, select the same approach, then select vectors to final. That's just one way. The other option that you mentioned using "Activate Leg" is also viable, but like you said, you'll need to monitor progress so that you activate the correct leg.

I'm interested to hear what techniques others might be using...

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Steve Lindsley
Avidyne Engineering

Posted By: dmtidler
Date Posted: 15 Jan 2025 at 3:54pm

Selecting and approach procedure using Vectors to Final on the IFD sets the approach to begin at the FAF and guidance to the FAF to align with the final approach course. This works well for most approaches; however, if there is a dogleg on the approach at the FAF, Vectors to Final may not be the best choice. If you pull up the full approach as you did on your 530, activating the leg to the FAF on the IFD will give proper approach guidance to/from the FAF even if there is a dogleg across the FAF.

One of the cool features of the IFD is that waypoints in the flight plan do not disappear from the flight plan as they are crossed. This allows the pilot to easily go back and make active a waypoint that is prior to the current IFD active waypoint in the active flight plan. For instance, if a pilot activates leg to the FAF on an approach on the IFD and later decides he/she would rather activate a leg to a waypoint prior to the FAF. All that pilot needs to do is perform another activate leg to the prior waypoint as it is still in the IFD active flight plan.

Posted By: frankbell
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2025 at 9:43am

I love the 540... but can't understand why they don't include a simple option to convert to VTF on an approach. Less button pushing.

Posted By: ricardo
Date Posted: 02 Feb 2025 at 12:01pm

been flying IFR with the ifd440 for about 3 years. and beyond training, i never use VTF ..

on an ILS, around where i fly, you are almost always on vectors ... and i can guess pretty well which leg i'm going to vectored onto , and just activate that leg.

by that time i've already switched the IFD to VOR mode, so activating the proper leg can be done at any time.

if its a GPS approach (and you didn't get direct to instructions) then i usually get a heading and get told to join the approach on that heading .. so there is time to activarte the proper leg when on HDG mode, and then enable NAV on the AP to get it to ARM NAV and then join the leg.

you can also manually join the leg using HDG, and then activate the leg.