Kokpit

How to fly an ILS?

by Captain Joe

Today´s video is the follow up to last weeks video about the Instrument Landing System. Last week we spoke about how the ILS works, and today I´ll show you how to fly an ILS and especially what easy rules of thumb are out there which will make your life on the ILS a lot easier. Definitely some great advice for flight students, and simulator pilots.

Key facts you need to know about the ILS:
-Localizer deviation by one dot is 0,8°
-Glideslope deviation by one dot is 0.4°
-Imagine flying into a funnel, more space to correct at the wider part
-Less space and higher sensitivity the closer you come to the runway
-Standard turning rate of planes 3°/ second
-Time for turn in seconds = How much heading to turn divide by 3
-Bank angle = airspeed divided by 10 plus 7
-Wind correction angle: Wind deviation x Windspeed / TAS (True airspeed)
-Vertical Speed on 3° Glideslope = Groundspeed times 5
Quote from video:

… These are the basics to capture and maintain the localizer and glideslope of the ILS, keep in mind, making corrections until you’re three to four nautical miles away from the threshold is relatively easy as you can do bigger corrections. But after passing the 1000 feet gate, you have to be fully established on the ILS, cause most airline standard operating procedure demand to perform a go-around if you are deviating one dot off the ILS to either direction. And the closer you get to the threshold the more sensitive the ILS becomes. Imagine flying through a funnel, you’ve got loads of space to correct where the funnel is wider, but the narrower it becomes, the less space you have.

Now you might think flying an ILS is fairly simple and easy. It sure is if you practice it on a daily basis, but your practice is only effective with the auto-thrust, autopilot and flight directors disengaged.


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