ILS Landing Tutorial with Screenshots

[Red_Kite]

Interesting tutorial Nav. I shall study it when I've got a few spare hours!  ;D

I guess I'm a VFR simmer at heart and enjoy flying (and landing) everything I can find from the seat of my pants! There was a time that I thought I would never be able to land a plane without crashing it. This was back in the days of Flight Unlimited 2 + 3 if anyone ever remembers them. I

[vololiberista]

I'll post a tutorial in the next few days regarding non precision approaches and also one for noise abatement techniques.
Vololiberista

Rather than spend a lot of time writing and translating from my pilots manuals and my own experience i came across this site which I will also post as a separate thread. It is very thorough so you can all land safely and make room on your hard drives for more aircraft by deleting 'crash effects!!!!'

http://www.navfltsm.addr.com/index.htm

PS I will do Noise Abatement in the next couple of days
Vololiberista

[Nav]

Red_Kite, I did the tutorial mainly because, not long ago, half the threads on here were of the 'I keep Crashing? How do I land?" variety. Therefore it's aimed squarely at beginners. And it seems to have achieved it's object, because there are a lot fewer such threads now.

I think everyone's objective should be first and foremost to ENJOY FS. So as long as you're happy just flying VFR and making your own weather, fine.

For myself, I found that after a bit, I got bored with that and began specialising in more challenging long-distance trips involving several legs and landing at all sorts of airports. I also found that using 'real weather' added interest because, whatever it serves up, you just have to deal with it somehow.

If you should ever get bored and feel the need of a new challenge, I recommend that you try the ready-made FS9 'Aerial Chauffeur' scenario. You don't have to use the default Cessna, you can substitute any aeroplane you like. Whoever set it up made sure that the weather is poor to start with, and gets worse as you go along; so that the conditions get steadily more challenging, trip by trip. I'll guarantee that if you DO try it, you'll find yourself using every nav-aid on the aeroplane before you've finished!

[SysFail]

I agree, the goal here is to just enjoy playing.

I don't know how everyone else plays, but I do "realtime rules"... If i leave the plane parked in Orlando Florida, and I want to fly to Bangor Maine, I have to make the flight.  Where ever the plane lands, is where it is when i start back up. NO CHEATING!!! lol
If I am in mid-flight and have to leave the game, I will dial in the nearest airport and land.

These tutorials have been invaluable to me as a new person to the game.  The red hoops help me, for now, learn, but continue to play and have fun without a ton of frustration kicking in because I crash everytime I land.
The more I land the better I get...red hoops or not..and soon I will not even need them anymore.
( I sight landed, on the hidden space shuttle runway in FL, by sight last night without hoops...due to no ILS there...took me 3 tries but I got it!!)


On a side note...does anybody know where I can get a hardcopy map of the USA with all of the airports on it and the ILS frequencies etc?  I bought a really nice spiral bound atlas last night to help me plan my trips, but thought maybe there was one with all the airports marked etc?

[lar007]

Hi Nav,

Thank you very much for taking the time out for us newbies and posting this guide for ILS approaches.

I'm a real newbie but I really hope you can help me...

However, I could cry, I really could.

[vololiberista]

Lining up to the localiser at about 18nm out isn't bad. Once that's done you need to watch the ils gauge closely with an occasional glimpse at the real rwy. Watch the glide slope indicator (horizontal bar) and as it starts to move down switch the AP button to 'appr' You must do this before the glide slope indicator goes past the centreline otherwise the AP won't capture the glideslope.
In real life landing a Cessna at Gatwick would be difficult as you would have to be on full throttle and with a very nose down attitude (this is to keep one's speed up) as there are somewhat larger boys chasing you down the slope. I did it for real many years ago in a TB10. Flying down the GS at full throttle and very nose down!! A bit scarty to say the least!!!
Vololiberista

[lar007]

Thank you vololiberista!  I set the auto pilot 'App' as soon as I've taken off  :-[ Going by your post, that's probably premature, am I right?

[Nav]

Glad you liked it, lar007.

Looks like your problem may have to do with the 'back-bearing'. An ILS system has a 'back-echo' in the opposite direction too, which will line you up with the runway, but NOT provide any glideslope.

A runway heading of 261 degrees means that you should line up to land from a bit north of east - coming from Shoreham, the ILS system may be lining you up to land from the west instead (that is, lining you up with Runway 8, the other, western, end of the runway you want). That would explain why you're not getting the glideslope.

The answer is NOT to set up the ILS from the start. Just fly towards the airport at first. Once you're within 30 miles, call up Gatwick Tower and ask for a 'full stop landing.' They'll tell you which runway to use; once you know that, set up the ILS and fly a course which brings you in roughly lined up with the designated runway; preferably at a slight angle, say 30 degrees. Sounds complicated, but if you're in any doubt pause the game and sketch things out on a piece of paper so you get the angles right.

Once the NAV1 dial 'lights up' and shows the arrow display and the glideslope indicator (see the first screenshot in the tute) everything should be OK.

Only thing is, as far as I know the Cessna only has cross-hairs on a dial, not the fancy NAV gauges they have nowadays - but the system works the same way, you'll soon get the hang of it.  

[vololiberista]

Thank you vololiberista!  I set the auto pilot 'App' as soon as I've taken off  :-[ Going by your post, that's probably premature, am I right?

Yes it's premature because ILS frequencies are not unique to individual airports.  (that's one of the reasons one still has to check the audible morse ident!!!).

The glide slope is close to 3deg. which at a distance of 10nm would be intercepted at a height(NB not altitude!!) of 3000ft. The FS9 ATC usually vector you to intercept the localiser between 14-18nm So calculate in your mind where the glide slope would be in relation to the intercept height you have been given. But don't select the 'appr' button until the gauge has found the glide slope. I always wait until I see it move down as a confirmation.

When you fly something "larger" than a Cessna then your airspeed also becomes a factor so get into the habit of arriving on the localiser at no more than 180kts ias.
Buon volo.
Vololiberista

[lar007]

OMG! Thank you Nav & vololiberista!!!!

I've got it at last!!!  I've just landed at EGLC & EGKK several times in a Learjet!!  In a learjet!!!!  No more Cessna!  Damn, I love flying!

Thank you both v.v.much!

[Ben R]

i do not know how to land using ILS..i tried using this guide like 10 times..still cant get the hang of it..please email me or something on how to land right..

[vololiberista]

i do not know how to land using ILS..i tried using this guide like 10 times..still cant get the hang of it..please email me or something on how to land right..

Here's what you do. First in order to aid your concentration and learning don't use the ATC facility (ie fly in silence)
Use this approach plate for rwy 27L at London Heathrow.

Set up a flight plan from CDG Paris to Heathrow and be sure to include the VOR 'BIG' that is Biggin Hill
Set your cruise altitude to FL020
Start your descent to FL70 as you leave the French coast
As you start your descent reduce your speed to 300 IAS
As you approach FL010 reduce your speed to 250 IAS
You should be at FL70 sometime before you reach Biggin
By 12DME before Biggin slow down to 210 IAS

During your descent set up your COM1 to 109.5
and turn your OBS knob to 275 heading
(now you have set up your AP to capture the ILS for rwy 27L)
Before you reach Biggin select HDG on your AP (after you have aligned the heading bug to the direction you are actually flying -- NB this isn't the OBS)

Ok so now we are ready to fly the approach

At the facility (when you get to Biggin) turn the a/c onto a heading of 335.

Speed back to 180 IAS
Descend to an altitude of 2,500ft
Don't let the speed run away so you will need to use slats, first stage flaps and probably spoilers as well.

Once the a/c is established onto the heading of 335 change the AP to NAV (making sure that the GPS light or switch is off)

The AP will now capture the localiser
As the a/c turns onto the heading of 275 speed back to 170 IAS, gear down, flaps2

Now watch carefully for the glideslope indicator (if you are using a glass cockpit it will be an arrowhead pointer at the side of your artificial horizon.

As it starts to move down change your AP from NAV to APR
or APP = Approach.
Now the AP will capture the glideslope
At 4DME slow down to 140 IAS, Full flaps, Set auto spoiler and auto brakes (if you have them)

Some a/c will fly all the way down to land but if they are not equiped with autoland then disengage the AP at 100ft
and land manually.
Remember that a good landing is one you walk away from. (NOT stagger away from!!!!)
Vololiberista

[Nav]

Welcome to Simviation, ranger0125. Easier to help you if you give us a bit more information.

What are you flying? Have you done some of the lessons to learn basic flying? If you've been following the tute, what exactly goes wrong, and when?

[Ben R]

no problem..thanks too..

i am flying a 777-200er..and i tried reading the lesson..but i dont understand..

[Ben R]

i just dont understand it man..