ILS Approach not working.

See if we can get you down safely.

It sounds like you may have activated the approach button (APP) to late in your approach. I usually activate the APP when ATC clears me for my approach (Eastern 123, cleared, turn left to 270, decend and maintain 1900. ....). I will usually acitvate APP just before I contact the tower. I then let the auto pilot intercept the ILS and turn me onto final. This will happen about 9-10 miles out and shortly before being cleared by the tower to land.

I have found on many occasions that if you do not activate the APP before intercepting the localizer, you fly past with out intercepting, or you remain to high.

Give a try as see if this helps.

yeah, thanks.. I was decending alright.. Was so happy on my way down to the runway that I forgot about the landing gear!!! 😛 Better luck next time

Lol... trial and error Gukken! But now you know for next time.

Of course there is always my excuse...

I never do a true ILS approach and landing... as soon as I get clearance I fly hands on till I hear the chirp of my wheels on the runway. So far so good.

I DO need to learn how to land ILS though.

Only things I do remember to do everytime are to set flaps on my way in, and autobrake usually to setting 2 lol... not taking any chances.... seen too many ends of the runway.

Have had to work the last few nights, but here is something else to watch for when flying an ILS approach.

Remember that you must intercept the glide slope from below. If you are too high or too fast, you will not intercept. Some flights I have made, usually long distance 747 and DC-10 flights, have had me cleared to the ILS approach while I am still decending and above 10 thousand feet. As a result, I have had to 1. remember the approach heading and continue to turn until getting to my cleared altitude (such as 1500 feet) or 2. fly a missed approach.

It had me wondering the first time this happened.

Hmm that is interesting... i need to go through a walkthru on that... i was not aware of that.
So lets say KIAH clears me to 1700.... i go down to 1700 BEFORE approaching the actual glide slope... then i guess hit my autoland or approach on the AP? not sure...

something tells me i will be practicing that tonight.

belgeode wrote:

Hmm that is interesting... i need to go through a walkthru on that... i was not aware of that.
So lets say KIAH clears me to 1700.... i go down to 1700 BEFORE approaching the actual glide slope... then i guess hit my autoland or approach on the AP? not sure...

something tells me i will be practicing that tonight.

The way I see it you should be at 1700 or very close to it when you engage APP.

When ATC Approach clears you "Cleared turn left to xxx decend and maintain 1700 maintain 1700 until intercepting the localizer, Contact tower on xxx.x"

At that time you are about 2 - 3 minutes from the localizer, you must decide of you can get to 1700 before you intercept.
Example: your are at 3000 and decending at 1800 FPM, at 160 indicated, you can safely turn to the heading given and activate the APP button on your auto-pilot.

The problem comes in, as I have found out approaching Frankfurt Germnay, Paris France, and once at Honolulu, you are at FL200 and decending at 1800 FPM, at 220 indicated, you will not be at the proper altitude or speed to intercept. Here you must bring your speed down and decide if you are going to continue a long decending turn until getting close to your approach altitude, of going missed.

Hope this helps.

yeah that does help. I will run a few short hops ILS to cleveland and back to pittsburgh and see if i can master it... sans passengers though. My 737 should be able to handle it.