Hi all,I am new to the forums, however have been an avid FS user for a while and just starting to get into FSX and jets.My question has to do with utilizing the Approach mode with the Auto Pilot and intercepting the Localizer and Glide Slope.I have tried to land several times using the approach mode, after intercepting the localizer it will guide me on course with the Runway but for some reason will not take me down the Glide Slope?It shows on the instruments that the GS & LOC are activated but the GS does not seem to work. Any idea what I am doing wrong here?Any feedback will be appreciated,Hogans.

It sounds like you're not below the GS before you hit the APP button. Could this be it?

Not sure about that, I fly at 2200 when intercepting is that too high?I remember it working fine in FS2004, but then again I am a little rusty too! LOL.

At 2200 ft above the runway you'd want to be more than about 7 NM back from the runway in order to be below the GS. In any case it is a requirement of the ILS system that the aircraft be below the GS before the APP mode is activated.

Basically what you are supposed to do is fly into the localiser beam whilst at perhaps 3,000 or so feet above the terrain (could be less, or even more, so 2,200 feet is probably okay), normally, an approach chart would actually tell you the correct height to be at.In reality, going too low can fool your autopilot into picking up on false or diminished signals from the ground clutter, which might make your autopilot lock onto a false glideslope signal or lose track of it, but FS does not model that phenomenon, so 2,200 feet is fine so long as you are clear of terrain. However, if you come in too low under the beam, you'll be late in going into a descent down the beam, so that could possibly have had a bearing on why you were having problems. Generally speaking, glideslopes are at a slope downwards of around three degrees, but some airports (for example London City) have much steeper glideslopes (six degrees or so) in order to avoid tall buildings in the London Docklands, which means if you come at that one too low, your autopilot might have a hard time transitioning neatly from straight and level flight into an approach descent. That's why it is usually worth looking at an approach chart to find out the correct height for any particular ILS interception.When you are lined up with the localiser, maybe ten or twelve miles out and heading toward the runway, you will be flying toward the runway underneath the extended glideslope signal beam, which is of course a focused beam that is transmitting up and out from the runway. So you will fly up into the glideslope beam as you get nearer to the runway (the reason you should fly up into the glideslope signal from underneath it, is again because bounced signals can send a false glideslope beam out above the real beam and confuse an autopilot, but again, that's in the real world, not in FS).When you get near being directly underneath the beam (as indicated on your cockpit gauges), you should hit the autopilot approach mode button (usually labeled 'APP') and also turn on all of your autopilot command buttons (these are usually labeled 'CMD'). You probably will already have one 'CMD' button pressed, since your autopilot was tracking the localiser and lining you up, but if your simulated aircraft has more than one autopilot simulated (i.e. if it has more than one 'CMD' button), then you'll most likely have to click on all the CMD buttons in order to get your aircraft to fly down the glideslope beam.Note that not all ILS systems are the same (even in FS). Some can have offset beams or other weird things (especially some fancy payware airport sceneries), so, depending on the airport, you may possibly have been doing nothing wrong at all and have been affected by that. In the real world, and in the simulated one, that sort of thing done for a variety of reasons, most likely to avoid some high terrain or an obstruction such as a tall radio mast, these things are generally referred to on approach charts.Anyhow, there's a few things to check out and try.Al

Are you selecting APP and not NAV for the ILS. NAV will not capture the Glideslope. Also, you must be at or below the glideslope for it to capture. Typical ILS procedures are setup with a initial intercept of appx. 1500 AGL and 5 NM from airport. Approach the final approach fix at 1500 AGL with APP armed and all should go as advertised.Mike

All good replies...What airport and runway are you having the problem with?

All good replies...What airport and runway are you having the problem with?

Thanks for all of the great information guys.The airport that I fly at when having the problems is KBGR (Bangor, Maine. Runway 33.)I will try your recomendations and see how it goes, thanks again....Hogans.

Is this happening with just one default aircraft, or with any you try the ILS with? Some of the default FSX aircraft will not hold the GS especially the 747. I've looked closely at the 747 and can't figure out why it won't follow the GS.If you are on an IFR flightplan, ATC will generally direct you to descend to an altitude that will allow the aircraft to capture the GS. I haven't had a problem with the proper altitude at intercept. Just some don't follow it perfectly. Also, make sure you have your speed set properly. Too fast, and you'll fly through the ILS beacon, and too slow and you can't hold altitude.

The airport that I fly at when having the problems is KBGR (Bangor, Maine. Runway 33.)I will try your recomendations and see how it goes, thanks again....Hogans.

I looked up the chart for ILS Ry 33 @ BGR:http://aeronav.faa.gov/d-tpp/1008/00039IL33.PDFThe glideslope intercept altitude is 2300. 3000 is also published if you're farther out. As long as you're at 2300 before the outer marker (6.3 miles from the antenna) and APP or APR mode is armed (and the nav/gps switch is set to NAV) the autopilot should intercept the glide slope no issues... Inbound course 333 and nav1 frequency 109.5