I am encountering some problems getting ILS to work. I can do the actual landing in the lessons, because Im already established on the localizer, and I sort of understand how the needles work. My problem is how do I get established on the localizer? When I try to land outside of the lesson with ILS nothing happens. I have an IFR flight plan filed, and follow all the ATC commands and handoffs, but the needles dont move at all, even when I am flying on the localizer heading, and the panel marker lights dont light up either. After ATC tells me to expect vectors for ILS, nothing else happens. If I stay on the last heading they give me, I just end up flying past the airport. If I turn to the localizer heading, I get to the runway, but with no ILS. I have auto tune set, but do I have to set anything manually? What is supposed to happen after ATC tells you to fly a certain heading and then expect vectors to ILS? What should the Nav/GPS switch be set on? Any help you guys can give me will be greatly appreciated.

Even though you have auto tune on I would suggest checking that the NAV1 radio is tuned into the correct freqeuency (I fly mostly online not familiar with auto tune, I thought it works for comms only). To get the freq for the ILS use the map view in FS, or use a flight guide/charts and make suye you tune the radio into the correct runway, i.e not for the opposite end, you can check it using the IDENT attached to the frequency.I'm not certain what aircraft you fly but make sure the NAV/GPS switch is set to NAV to recieve the ILS. The switch is alongside the VOR/ILS gauge, or alongside the light buttons in some aircraft. The red NAV flag on the VOR/ILS gauge should dissappear when it is active.Hope this helps, lets me know how you get on.NP

A few rules...The ILS frequency for the runway you are using must be in the Nav 1 radio. Find this is the airport section of the Garman or on the map in map view.Set-up early (far out) to make the landing and have your speed generally down. Try to have the aircraft well stabilized in speed, direction, etc. Remember, it takes the autopilot a long time to correct bad inertia (Sometimes it can't).You must intersect the glide scope from below. This is a documented MS rule and it locks out if you come into it from above. I generally use around 2200 ft +/-. You will generally not pick up the glide scope until you are 5 to 7 miles out.Be sure the Autopilot is turned on, and use the "APR" (approach) button to automate the ILS landing. Movement of the needles indicates the radios are working and your frequency in Nav 1 is correct. Remember, every ILS runway has a different frequency. At a couple of hundred feet disengage the autopilot (Z) and any auto throttles, and manually land the airplane.Find a favorite airport and practice. Use slew to back out and try again. Read up on how to reset the radio if you come in above the glide scope, and lock that out. (I'm can't remember the key command to reset it.)*******Also, do yourself a big favor...Buy FS Navigator, and a second monitor/PCI card.... Makes all this very easy (and on one screen only). Can't be any easier.Click "fly to here" on FS Nav map.... At end of displayed ILS spread pattern.Drag and drop displayed runway frequency to Nav 1 radio icon in FS Nav.Click "APR" icon on FS Nav screen********It's all a little tricky, but really one of my favorite parts of the sim.Bob (Lecanto, Fl)AMD, Athlon XP, 1800+MSI, K7T266 XP ProPC 2100 DDR, 1024 MBXP, Home Edition Elsa GLadiac 920, GF3/64Mb andPNY, Verto nVidia TNT 2-M64/32WD, 100 MB, 7200, Ultra 100Sound Blaster, Audigy MP3+CH Prod, VPP Yoke - Sound CardCH Prod, Pedals - Sound Card

The localizer tells you how far to the left or right of the runway you are. It is a very narrow beam though, meaning that if you are too far left or too far right you will get no reading at all. It also has a very short range. Even if you are lined up on the runway you'll get no reading if you are too far away from it.You meantioned autotune. I'm not sure what that is, but I suspect you misunderstand something. I think you'll need to tune the NAV radio yourself.If you are close to the runway and already lined up, and if your NAV radio is tuned to the ILS freq, the needle should appear on the VOR guage and help you line up your approach very accurately."If I stay on the last heading they give me, I just end up flying past the airport."That's correct. The ILS does not land the plane for you. It just helps you line up on the runway. ATC guides you to a course that crosses the ILS beam. What you're supposed to do is watch the needle and when it centers make a turn toward the runway, keep the needle centered, and land the plane."My problem is how do I get established on the localizer?"Without ATC what you'll do is navigate to the airport with other instruments. With ATC (as you know) you just follow their directions and when the localizer needle centers turn toward the runway.Take a look at the two screenshots I included. the first is a map. As you can see, I am approaching Martha's Vinyard and the airport lies to my left. So, when I cross the path of the runway, I'm going to turn left. I click on the green path extending from the runway and see that the frequency for the ILS on that runway is 108.70. In the second screenshot, you can see the way my instruments look. The red circle shows that I've tuned the ILS frequency for the runway. And the Green circle shows the localizer needle. As you can see, the needle is to the right of the yellow arrow. That means that I am to the left of the runway. If I continue to fly my present course, the needle will center itself - at tht point, I'll make a left turn to 236 (the runway heading) and I should be all lined up.Another thing to note is that you can rotate the yellow arrow on the VOR radio. If you are tuned to a VOR station, rotating the arrow affects the reading on the needle. But for an ILS, rotating the arrow has no effect. most pilots however, point the needle to the runway heading. This helps them remember which way to turn when the needle centers.OK?http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/38029.jpghttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/38030.jpg

Thank you very much for your help guys. I found each of your replies very helpfull, and it cleared up a lot of the confusion I had. I tried it out last night, and by using the info you provided, I got it to work. Thanks again for taking the time to reply!