ILS Landing

[linacus]

Hi,
This topic may have alredy been added but im finding trouble lining up perfectly with the centre line on landing. I try to use the heading but it send me way off. Any tips on perfect line up

Thanks
Stuart

[Rocket_Bird]

With ILS, make sure you set the correct course on your VOR or HSI in which you are using as reference for your ILS approach.

[logjam]

You have to remember too that the Autopilot doesn't take the x wind component into consideration as you do when flying the ILS manually.

[jknight8907]

Speaking of crosswinds, I noticed a cool feature last night. I was flying a GPS approach to HOU in a 737-200, using the autopilot to track the horizontal component of the approach. As I got closer I noticed that the autopilot had me lined up but quite a bit off-center.  But it turned out, as I got closer the drift from the crosswind made me end up directly in line as I crossed the threshold, after which I disconnected the ap and crabbed into the wind for touchdown.

Pretty cool deal.

[commoner]

..Yup.."you gotta have faith".....or why use it?..commoner..

[linacus]

Nice one,
Anybody else to help me?

[beefhole]

Use a GPS approach to get you lined up, then switch over to ILS. Works flawlessly every time (unless the GPS approach is misplaced, which does happen). Make sure when you switch over to ILS you switch it from GPS mode to NAV. To learn how to program a GPS approach the help center should do it .

[Nav]

linacus, glad to help if I can, but more information would be useful.

[mark_av]

This may not totally answer your question, but it's something I have to remind my father of constantly:
When trying to line up for the ILS, don't stay in a turn/bank until the needle lines up and then try to straighten out.  Make a small turn towards the needle and then fly level until the needle centers (or almost centers).  Another small turn in the opposite direction to line up and level out again.
Unfortunately, when watching my father's ground track, you see a zig-zag pattern all the way to the runway threshold as he corrects, then over corrects, then over-over corrects, etc.

[beefhole]

I ask because the ILS will normally line you up anyway, so I can't see why you're trying to do it yourself?

Actually, ILS won't. It cannot be accurately captured far away from the ILS "feather", and intial lineup must either be done manually or using the aformentioned GPS approach. ILS will keep you lined up with the runway on final (winds permitting), but it will not make the turn to final for you.

I can't stress this enough-use a GPS approach! Perfect turns onto final (almost) every time!

[Nav]

ILS will keep you lined up with the runway on final (winds permitting), but it will not make the turn to final for you.

I think we're at cross purposes, beefhole.

[Nav]

Come to think of it, linacus, this gives a pretty good summary of the whole autopilot/ILS picture (subject to looking up speeds etc. for individual aeroplanes in the Learning Centre).

The guy concerned (David Maltby) also does some nice downloads of British airliners.

[beefhole]

Of course, if you are flying IFR, Air Traffic Control organises the interception course for you.

Ahh, but they give you a general heading that is, probably about 80% of the time, I'd say too wide of an angle to make a proper ILS intercept. This is why it's preferable to use either HDG hold to turn to final, or my beloved GPS approach (which I agree is complicated-so is ILS, you learned that at some point didn't you )

So for simplicity's sake, let's agree that if it's a wide interception angle, HDG hold should be used to line yourself up on final.

[Nav]

Good for you,

[beefhole]

lol, I think that brings the total of people I agree with to about three