ILS Landing Tutorial with Screenshots

[vololiberista]

About flying manual, commercial pilots like to do as much of it as they can, to stay in practice. Most of them fly the climb out after takeoff manually most of the way to height, for example. But when it comes to landing (depending on how well the airport they're flying to is equipped) they are normally REQUIRED by company and air safety regulations to use the auto systems. I believe that they have to apply for special permission to practise landing manually, and only usually get it a couple of times a month.

Yes this is the case in UK airspace.  Where an airfield has an ILS facility it is deemed to be used by ALL pilots.  Pilots can ask for a visual approach if the weather is VMC but would only be granted permission if the airport was not busy at the time..

I was on an Easyjet flight into Luton when P2 took over and nearly lost the a/c!!! It was his first time out of the 737 simulator!!!!!  P1 put it back onto the AP and we landed safely!!

[Ben R]

volo, ok..i set up a vor flight from southampton to leeds bradford..but the ils would bring the glideslope..why? and when should i set the radio? into nav1 or 2? and when i take off..should AP be on hdg or nav?

thank you

[Nav]

ranger, with respect, you're going a mile outside the scope of the tute. I think you may be trying to 'run before you can walk'. You have to take FS step by step, it's no use talking about landing until you've learned the basics of flying and navigating.

Please go to 'Getting Started' in the FS Learning Centre - that will gve you basic information on flight planning, navigation etc. Look up anything you're not sure of in the Learning Centre Index, for more detail. And maybe try some of the Flying Lessons? No need to do them all, but many of them (particularly the early ones) are very good.

[Foxtrot Sport]

volo, ok..i set up a vor flight from southampton to leeds bradford..but the ils would bring the glideslope..why? and when should i set the radio? into nav1 or 2? and when i take off..should AP be on hdg or nav?

thank you

Just try to recreate the exact flight at the beginning of this thread, and once you've done that a few times, you'll be quite acquainted with the routine for an ILS landing.  Thus, you'll be more adaptable to a flight like that one.

[Ben R]

nav, i can take off, land, fly level, and easy..it just setting up the nav radio which is gettin me.

[Nexus]

You got two NAV radios
The captain's NAV radio is NAV 1
Co.pilot's is NAV 2

As you're in the captain's seat you will use NAV 1 as your primary tool. The ILS frequency will go here.
During an single channel ILS approach, if the ILS has no DME, it is common sense to put the aiport VOR in the other NAV radio for DME awareness.

An ILS has very limited range, so I usually make it active 20nm out. It's pointless to activate it right after take-off since it obviously will be out of range.

[elite marksman]

ILS freqs should ALWAYS go into NAV 1 on your radio stack. You also need to hit the "APPR" button on your AP command panel, and if you will also need to disable the ALT Hold function. You also need your Nav system to be in NAV mode, not GPS.

[vololiberista]

volo, ok..i set up a vor flight from southampton to leeds bradford..but the ils would bring the glideslope..why? and when should i set the radio? into nav1 or 2? and when i take off..should AP be on hdg or nav?

thank you

Before pushback but after taxi clearance set the HDG (heading) bug to the magnetic heading of the departure  rwy
If you're flying VOR to VOR ie not GPS then set your NAV1 to the frequency of the first VOR. Use NAV2 for reference headings eg On an approach plate you will often see something like "turn left on LON radial 114"
On take off after you have crabbed the a/c into wind to keep it straight select HDG on your AP. After ATC hand you over they will vector you and tell you to "resume own navigation"  When the a/c has settled onto the vectored heading select NAV or GPS on your AP depending on what type of flight plan you have set up.
As you arrive at your destination remember to reduce your airspeed in stages. At about 30nm out you should be at 180kts IAS. ATC will vector you to establish on the localiser. Now select the ILS frequency on NAV1 and turn the OBS knob to the magnetic heading of the ILS approach. It's good practice at this point to have the heading bug set to the heading you are flying before you switch over to the ILS otherwise the a/c will turn unexpectedly whilst you are setting up the ILS and you will probably have to initiate a missed approach.
Hope this helps
Vololiberista

[vololiberista]

PS when you get good at flying ILS procedures download Kai Tak (the old airport of Hong Kong). You have to do a visual right turn to land "after" flying the glideslope!!!!!!!
It's actually easier to do in real life than on the sim!!!!
Vololiberista

[DONTREADMYUSERNAME]

DOH!


thanks alot, the idea of saving a flight 20 miles out is absouletly amazing, i am so usually wrapped up in landing that i have never thought of doing that. after all landing is the best part right...

[ashaman]

Actually all the parts of a flight are nice, the best parts as you said, only the cruise is a little boring.

[Conan Edogawa]

There is no fuel on board? Could be an explanation why you could hold 140 kts without stalling.

Extremely well done documentation!

Many happy landings,

Conan

[rafterq]

Nav, you are my hero!! That tutorial is outstanding...thanks for the work you put in on that!

[beaky]

Didn't see this before... very nice job!  ;D

In addition to forgetting the wind, Nav, you left the Nav lights off!!
Oh, the irony...  ::)  :D

Flying around w/o port and starboard marker lights, are we?
 :D

And on a sort of side note, for what it's worth I don't think the hoops in the FS tutorial help at all... they are a distraction to holding the right airspeed, following the approach procedure, and remembering your wind and weather info, as well as the checklist ("Nav lights: ON"; before takeoff! ). there's still talk about incorporating such visuals into future RL glass panels, and I think it's a bad idea.

[Nav]

Thanks fior the kind remarks, guys - glad you liked it.

[quote]There is no fuel on board? Could be an explanation why you could hold 140 kts without stalling.