Simviation Forums

Hello guys,

I know I've asked about this before, but I just don't seem to get how to do a proper ILS landing in FSX.

I know how to do it manually, but I want the autopilot to line me up with the runway because that way I'm not all over the place trying to align myself manually 10nm out. I don't understand the exact function of the APP switch which I believe is supposed to align me with the runway. I know about grabbing the ILS frequency and runway heading and inputting them into my radio and AP, as well as switching from GPS to NAV.

I also tend to come in way too high or way too low on the glidescope.

I still recommend flying manually over anything else.

That autopilot is something the devil's cooked up...

I suggest trying a less agressive heading, when intercepting the localizer.

The needle will find the localizer very suddenly, and move very quickly.

By then, it's too late for a 90 degree turn in a heavy airplane.

Try approaching it, so that you need to do a turn of about 30 degrees, that will makes things much easier.

You can also cross-reference with your GPS, to know when to expect the localizer needle to move

You gotta learn how to shoot an ILS approach manually, because the Autopilot is just a tool, and it isn't smarter than you. It won't do you any good if you don't know what's going on....

Yeah..  just take your time.. slow down. The autopilot isn't going to do any kind of magic.

Climb back into the C172 and shoot ILS approaches until it's second nature.. If you're having to struggle there (at all) you're just taking some bad habits and then amplifying them in a jet. If you DO manage to get the autopilit to captures the ILS/Glideslope.. you aren't going to know what you did right, and certainly not learn anything from it.

Nailing airspeeds and altitudes is critical... stabilizing the approach is critical.. else you're just "joysticking" a big missile at a target on the ground

Your right guys, I guess I'll ground my 737 for a couple of days and go try some ILS landings in a Cessna. Thanks!

I've found that with the jets there are very few that react well with the AP flying an ILS approach.

i was in the same boat, i know the airplane can use the ils and its awesome, i fly from san francisco to arcate/eureka with 100% clouds and visibility at 1/16 mile and hit the runway every time without ever looing out the window, its so awesome. i looked on youtube and found about 50 videos on how to use it. and here are a few that i think are the best...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUI7SJYd ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MP_wRTnkvAc

once you get the ideas you can easily switch from plane to plane each one is different.

to be honest its best to start with the cessna cause every thing happens at a much slower speed.

also here is a web page for all types of navigation  
http://www.navfltsm.addr.com/index.htm

it will teach you all about vor and ndb and so forth, using navigation makes flight sim so much funner to use.

also not every airport is set up to be an ILS airport, and not ever plane is an ILS plane.

once you find a plane that is ils equipted and the airport is set up for ils landings, you have to follow a specific routine for each airport, called a plate.

http://flightaware.com/resources/airpor ... RWY+32/pdf

here is an example of the one i use to practice all the time.

My limited experience with ILS approaches has taught me:

Speed management is critical. I try to intercept no faster than 180 kts.

Flap deployment at proper speeds.

Intercept at 45 degree angle.

Always intercept the glideslope below it.

This stuff works for me. A real pilot would probably powerslap me for this advice!!!

Nah.. no power-slapping..

Ahh, I was under the impression he was wondering how to do an AP approach. Hand flying it is hard!!! Yup, I would start with a Cessna too!

Ahh, I was under the impression he was wondering how to do an AP approach. Hand flying it is hard!!! Yup, I would start with a Cessna too!

Yeah.. that was probably the initial intention of this thread.. but they tend to wander a bit

Before i started using the ILS, i selected an ILS flight plan and let the comp walk me thru it, then i noticed a few things. first, they always flew me at the (localizer) green arrow on the gps at an angle (30-45deg), and i also noticed they always directed me to meet the glideslope from below.

THen i started to noticed that once my plane grabed the localizer the hdg button on the auto pilot went out, i also noticed once i was on the glide slope the altitude button went out too.

i noticed ( for the first time) the O,M,and I lights would light up at certain times.

I also finally figured out how to turn off the morse code sounds, in the past i would fly for hours with sound off cause i couldnt figure out how to turn them off.

After a while i would start to predict what was going to happen including when the comp would say "until established on the localizer" in her sexy voice.

Now i get the approach plates and try to practice 1 different airport a day, including DME arcs and standard procedure turns.

THen i would learn to adjust the power to maintian a correct glide and to bump the nose up and down to maintain the correct angle, and to use the 5 times speed = decent rate.

Then i noticed that in the cessna 152 that i practiced with at a certain declining rate would be a certain engine rpm, so now when i am on the glide slope i just put the engine rpm at about 1800 and everything falls into place after a minute or so.

Over the days i would start to move the visibility settings down, now i can take off and land with visibility at 1/16mile and have no problems, all this took about a week.

After a while i would start to predict what was going to happen including when the comp would say "until established on the localizer" in her sexy voice.

You do get kinda disappointed, when it's a guy, right?