Involuntary Holding Pattern

[Seaton3310]

On approach to Cape Town I select a random non-VECTORS approach on an ILS runway via my GPS. I've done this with every airport I've been to and it takes me right onto the runway no problem. This time it's keeping me up in a damn holding pattern. I've clearance to land. Why are the waypoints not progressing to take me to the runway? Why does the GPS put me in a never ending holding pattern (unless I break out of it, turn off and back on NAV, etc.)

[Medx421]

It will do that if you've reached the last programmed waypoint. Not sure if that is your situation. I'm not sure if the default GPS builds in published holds on the approaches or not.

[SteveFSX/P3D]

Is the approach activated?

[Seaton3310]

Why would it put a holding pattern as a waypoint?

Also while people are looking at this, why does my GPS occasionally not have runways ATC wants me to land on? Sometimes I can't request a runway because I don't have a GPS entry for it

[SteveFSX/P3D]

Originally posted by Seaton3310:

Why would it put a holding pattern as a waypoint?

If your approach is not activated it might not sequence you on to the approach. It might hold you at the last en-route or arrival waypoint. The journey being made up by the enroute journey and a final waypoint before the first approach waypoint. So (on my gps anyway) I have to activate the approach before the last en-route waypoint.

The idea is you don't activate the approach until you know that runway is in use, or that ATC will allow it. I also think in some GPS units if you activate the approach early GPS will ignore the en-route waypoints and head for the first approach waypoint.

[Medx421]

If it doesn't have the runway listed, there is likely not an instrument approach for that particular runway. Or at least wasn't at the time FSX came out. You can still request and fly a visual approach on another runway conditions permitting.

[Seaton3310]

Got it. Thanks a lot. My very last question that would be great if someone could answer (then I promise I'm done with this catch-all thread) is why, after I cut fuel to my engines while parked at a gate (747) do all my instruments cut out after like 5-10 mins. Shift+M for battery on/off isn't doing anything, nor are starting my engines - they don't come on. Fuel isn't the problem, I've more than half my capacity left. I see the APU and Standby power switches on the overheard, they're in the "off" position and I can't toggle them. If those should be on, how did they get off without me clicking anything on them and how can I start them?

I have to reload after every time this happens because I can't recover from it.

[Medx421]

You're killing the battery with nothing to power them, and thus your instruments. As to the APU usage, I am not well versed as I only fly general aviation. I'm sure there is a sequence to it and that would be reflective of the aircraft model itself and/or if APU/GPU functions are even modeled for that aircraft. Someone else may be able to help more in this regard.

[Seaton3310]

Hmm ok, so I cut off the engines and that starves the battery. I get it... so how do I "jump" myself? My parking checklist says to cutoff (Ctrl+shift+f1) , which I do... so then my plane dies and is unusable? Seems bad... the opposite, engine startup (Ctrl+E) isn't working, it tries to start engine 1 then it goes back off and none start. Plane stuck off.

[BEARlyThereCDN]

This is going to sound weird, but it's one solution and it works. While in the cockpit of your 747, go to the menu and open the aircraft selection window, change to the default Cessna 172, when it loads up, fire up the airplane, then, go to the aircraft selection window again and choose your 747. When it loads up, the 747 should be fired up and running.

[Seaton3310]

Oh so this is a known issue? Can't let plane die and recover?

[TextRich]

Following the in-sim checklist to power down, then the same checklist to power up the aircraft, doesn't work?