E383 - Why Your RNAV Glide Path Won't Capture—and How to Fix It + GA News

Max tackles a common frustration among pilots: why RNAV (GPS) glide paths sometimes fail to couple with the autopilot. A recent Facebook post from a pilot flying a Cirrus SR22T triggered the discussion, as the poster encountered exactly this problem during an LPV approach, mistakenly attributing it to an expired database. Max explains that the real culprit was a fundamental misunderstanding of RNAV approach procedures.

Unlike an ILS glide slope, which is a physical radio beam transmitted from ground equipment, an RNAV glide path is a computed construct generated by the aircraft's...