G1000NXi with ESP - Missed Approach

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Boatguy
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G1000NXi with ESP - Missed Approach

Post by Boatguy »

The DA42-VI with NXi has Garmin's "ESP". According to AOPA, this means you can fly a fully coupled missed approach.

Does anyone have experience with this? What happens if you hit the GA button while the AP is still engaged?
We had the chance to fly the G1000 NXi on a King Air 350. The flight included a demonstration of a coupled missed approach. While the ability to command a missed approach without disconnecting the autopilot is not new to the G1000, it is a recent software update and will be new to many who fly with the NXi. As we neared minimums to Runway 13 at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Garmin demonstration pilot Scott Frye tapped the go-around button on the power levers. The flight director commanded an initial pitch up to 10 degrees and started the airplane upward. It was up to Frye to add power and retract the gear and flaps. A touch of the nav button had us headed out for the missed approach procedure. Had he not added power—or enough power—the Electronic Stability and Protection (ESP) system in the autopilot would have pitched the airplane over enough to keep it from stalling.
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Paul
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Re: G1000NXi with ESP - Missed Approach

Post by Paul »

The AP stays engaged when you hit GA - at least it does in the M600 I fly and it did in the Cirrus I flew as well. After that you can hit HDG if you are given vectors for a missed or NAV if you want the AP to fly the missed as listed in the flight plan you have loaded. So autopilot the entire way if you want including the entire missed procedure with holds. There are some tricks though in that you obviously need the right altitude and climb speed set and if you hit NAV, you need to be sure the next fix is where you want to go.
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Re: G1000NXi with ESP - Missed Approach

Post by ultraturtle »

It also works great in both the legacy G1000 DA42-VI and DA62 w ESP.
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Re: G1000NXi with ESP - Missed Approach

Post by CFIDave »

Boatguy wrote: Thu Nov 28, 2019 3:31 am The DA42-VI with NXi has Garmin's "ESP". According to AOPA, this means you can fly a fully coupled missed approach.

Does anyone have experience with this? What happens if you hit the GA button while the AP is still engaged?
The DA40NG with G1000 NXi works the same as Legacy G1000 GFC700: When the pilot hits the GA button, here's what happens:

a. Autopilot disengages (Autopilot disconnect annunciation, AP (and YD on Diamond twins) flashes yellow for 5 seconds)
b. Flight Director bars show wings-level, pitch-up attitude (7 degrees for DA40, 6 degrees for Diamond twins)
c. Green GA mode indicated in both active pitch and roll mode fields
d. White ALTS armed for Selected Altitude Capture Mode (referencing Altitude Bug that pilot previously remembered to set to missed approach holding pattern altitude)
e. CDI flight phase magenta text changes from LOC or LPV to MAPR on the HSI
f. If ILS or LOC approach, the CDI changes to GPS as the navigation source (green becomes magenta in HSI, provides GPS course to fly missed approach)
g. Flight plan cycles to first waypoint on missed approach procedure
h. Waypoint sequencing (which was automatically suspended at the Missed Approach Point with SUSP indication) is resumed with OBS indication on PFD bottom.

After the pilot has started the climb away from the runway, It's then up to the pilot to:

1. Press AP button to (re)engage autopilot (to fly the GA Mode 7% up climb, wings level indicated by Flight Director bars)

2. Press NAV key to have autopilot fly to the Missed Approach waypoints (otherwise plane will just continue to climb straight on runway heading). This will also cause:
a. Lateral mode green GA → GPS (makes autopilot laterally follow missed approach procedure and waypoints to holding pattern, then enter hold)
b. Vertical mode stays green GA (autopilot still in go-around pitch mode)

3. Press FLC button and UP/DOWN buttons to adjust airspeed during the climb to the missed approach holding pattern.

On the DA42-VI and DA62 (NXi or Legacy G1000) with ESP: The autopilot does not disconnect, so that when the pilot hits the GA button and advances the throttles the plane will follow the Flight Director bars to climb by itself. But the pilot still has to remember to hit the NAV button after the climb commences (Step 2), and may want to adjust the FLC airspeed (Step 3).
Epic Aircraft E1000 GX
Former DA40XLS, DA42-VI, and DA62 owner
ATP, CFI, CFI-I, MEI
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