I have this terrible problem. As I approach a runway all starts well, but as I get closer and closer, it drifts first to one side and then the other, and in the end I either land on the verges or at a crazy angle to the runway itself.

If I chicken out and engage auto rudder, rather than using my pedals, I can get my landings pretty well in place most of the time.

The Cessna isn't too much of a problem at slow speeds, but get into a Jetstream, Baron or equivalent and the faster approach speeds throw me off.

So I decided to do some research, looking into various ideas on landings. I got all the hints about looking at the far end of the runway and variations on this theme, but the final solution came from Hal Stoen with a simple idea, which I will quote verbatim:

"How's the runway looking? What do you think? Are you going to land short? Long? Don't have a clue? Here's a tip that most pilots use in every visual landing. Pick out a spot on the aircraft that you can see as you are looking at your touchdown point on the runway. The spot you pick can be the propeller spinner, a spot on the brow, a spot on the center post, whatever will work for you. (In actual practice, a dead bug on the windshield is an ideal choice.)"

I didn't have a dead bug on my monitor, and I didn't want to mark the screen, so what to do?

Firstly I took the panel bitmap into an editor and added a very small square, in the center of the screen at an appropriate height above the instrument panel. I colored it approximately sky blue and went flying. Even at the first attempt, I knew I was onto a winner. I made some fine adjustments and this acted well as a guide for my landings.

After a few days I got fed-up with the bug, useful as he was. I needed a method of only having him there when I needed him. And the answer was to create a new window in my Panel.cgf file. With my extra window enabled and assigned to a suitable button, my bug can come and go as I wish. Of course this only works for each aeroplane you choose to modify, but I find it worth the effort. Perhaps when I have practised some more I can get rid of my "cheat", but for now I need all the help I can get.

If you are going to follow my ideas below, please ensure that you have backed up the panel.cfg file before you start. At least then you have a fall back position when it all goes to pieces. If you don't know how to find the file required, you are probably best leaving this alone until you have done a little more exploration.

The entries below are taken from my Cessna 172SP panel.cfg file. All extra entries are in red below.

Firstly add an extra window to the [Window Titles] section, I called my bug window "target".

[Window Titles]
Window00=Main Panel
Window01=Radio Stack
Window02=GPS
Window03=Annunciator
Window04=Compass
Window05=target

Secondly add an extra window entry in order, after the Window04 definition, but before the [Vcocpit01] entry, lower down the file. I show Window04 and the following few lines to give you a helping hand. The dashes following the double backslash are optional visual aids to help find the area I've been messing with.

[Window04]
file=172SP_compass.bmp
size_mm=70
position=2
visible=0
ident=COMPASS_PANEL

gauge00=Magnetic_Compass!Magnetic-Compass,0,0

//------------------------------------------------------
[Window05]
Background_color=41,200,253
size_mm=512
window_size_ratio=1.00   
position=0
visible=0
ident=Target
window_size= 0.007, 0.007
window_pos= 0.505, 0.25

//------------------------------------------------------

[VCockpit01]
size_mm=512,512
pixel_size=512,512
texture=$C172s_1
background_color=0,0,0
visible=0

This sixth (counting from zero) window is trigged by pressing -6 in my set-up. If this doesn't work for you check the assignment of window 6 in your keyboard assignments.

Note if you have added this to a panel with only three windows for example, you should change the numbering, and of course it will become the fourth window.

Don't be afraid to tweak things, I had to move the bug up into the windscreen for the Cessna 172SP panel, by modifying the "Y" axis position as shown below:

window_pos= 0.505, 0.3 	into 	window_pos= 0.505, 0.25

If you want to have the bug on by default change the line visible=0 to visible=1.

In order to see any changes when FS2002 is running you have to select any other aircraft and then come back to your desired aeroplane in order to reload the definitions and see the effects of any changes. If anyone knows a quicker way of implementing these changes, please let me know!

I thank Hal Stoen for permission to use his work and I hope that some of you find my idea of use. I highly recommend www.stoenworks.com for good stories, training tips and guides.

Happy and safe flying in 2005.

Bob Allison
Isle of Man
British Isles
thorsden@manx.net