How to determin Back course

[Guest shaunm]

Hi How do i tell if the runway i have been told to land on will have a bacourse or not. Tried landing last night, all nav radios were tined in for a ILS approach but rather than turn towards the runway it turned the other way. How do i determin what way the plane will turn when it picks up the runway. Thanks in advance Shaun

[Guest RonB49]

Orientation and charts. The charts (or at least a substitute for them) you can get from FS's "Map View." The orietation part you have to provide. But, for example, if you are approaching an airport from the south or southeast or southwest, and it has ILS for runway 18 only, then the signal you receive will be back course. The idea, then, is to fly north of the runway before capturing the localizer. The trick is to know where you are at all times. Especially at night -- when its dark -- and lonely -- and scary . . . R-

[Guest _patrol_]

ShaunI'm not exactly sure what you mean. If you're referring to a back course landing, ie landing on rwy 180 with ILS 360 using auto pilot, then it depends on the type of autopilot. If your AP has a BC or REV selection then engage this and your AP will respond more or less like a normal ILS landing. I will hold the localizer and sometines the glide slope, you will have to control throttle of course. If you don't have BC or REV then you must do a manual approach and your localizer indicator will work backwards. In other words, if the CDI moves off course to the right you will have to alter course to the left to bring it back. Hope this helps.David

[Guest babua]

If you have fsnav then pointing the mouse on the runway will give its details like ils/gs/dme or like ils/bc etc. other authentic way to know is through the actual instument approach charts!!

[johjak 0]

ShaunI'm not exactly sure what you mean. If you're referring to a back course landing, ie landing on rwy 180 with ILS 360 using auto pilot, then it depends on the type of autopilot. If your AP has a BC or REV selection then engage this and your AP will respond more or less like a normal ILS landing. I will hold the localizer and sometines the glide slope, you will have to control throttle of course. If you don't have BC or REV then you must do a manual approach and your localizer indicator will work backwards. In other words, if the CDI moves off course to the right you will have to alter course to the left to bring it back. Hope this helps.David

Just wondering: Would it be the same result if you just set the opposite RWY course (f.eks: 360 w/bc=180) and read the CDI as normal?

[PIC007 82]

Just wondering: Would it be the same result if you just set the opposite RWY course (f.eks: 360 w/bc=180) and read the CDI as normal?

No. A localizer doesnt care what you have for a course, it is set to a specific heading. For a back course approach, as already stated, unless you have a BC option on your AP, you need to fly AWAY from the needle.

[BE36 1]

http://www.altairva-fs.com/training/ava_training_ifr_loc.htmvery good website!

[tjrush 55]

No. A localizer doesnt care what you have for a course, it is set to a specific heading. For a back course approach, as already stated, unless you have a BC option on your AP, you need to fly AWAY from the needle.

I believe that if you are using a standard VOR, setting the front course will not help. However, if you have an HSI and set the front course, the tail of the needle will point at the runway heading and the CDI will properly show left and right of the runway.