What is a back course landing?Thanks.John Franklin

Its when a runway only has a ILS glideslope in one direction. The direction without glideslope is the backcourse I believe.So when doing ILS approach on that end of runway you have to click the BC instead of APP button and manually control the decent as I recall.

Basically it's the back end of a localizer. Say you have an ILS on runway 36, sometimes there will be an approach for the backcourse on runway 18. If your using a standard VOR receiver, you will have reverse sensing on the needles. If you use an HSI, it will operate like a localizer. There is no glideslope on a backcourse.I think the FAA is doing away with most back coruse approaches. Back when I did my instrument training, there were a couple of airports with published backcourse approaches. Those airports no longer have the published approach.If you want to know more about it, check out this link:http://www.navfltsm.addr.com/ils.htm

Yes, AFAIK the backcourse procedures is no longer in use.

You wouldn't want to fly one if you had the option, they made my brain hurt.

There is a Published Backcourse for KRFD, RWY19. Everytime I go up do keep my IFR Current, I always get that one in. I actually like them. Mihir

Dont think Nantucket will be getting rid of its Rwy 6 LOC BC anytime soon as much as that gets used.NP

It is a back course approach (not landing).An ILS localizer signal (the portion of the signal used for horizontal navigation i.e. left & right) is transmitted in both the direction of the runway the ILS serves and the inverse of that runway. This signal broadcast in the opposite direction of the ILS approach may in some cases be used for navigation. Large airports will tend to have an ILS serving both runway directions, but many smaller airports will only have a single ILS. In the later example there can be published approach procedures for a back course approach.There are many published back course approaches in the US. Flying a BC is fairly simple. One major difference (from an ILS) is that you have no vertical guidance (glide slope) so any glide slope indications must be ignored. The approach is flown much like a VOR approach only a localizer is much more sensitive. As some people already mentioned flying a BC can be a little tricky at first if you are using a traditional VOR or OBS instrument, as you will have reverse sensing. In other words you will have to turn away from the navigation needle to intercept it. If you are using a HSI or EFIS then it is simple. Just turn the CDI needle to the front course (normal approach heading) of the ILS and it will sense normally.

And in real life, unlike FS, the 3 (yes 3) red/white lights will put you on the proper slope visually. [why don't they ever get that right?]