Hi all, after years of taking a break from Flight Sim, I have recently got back into the hobby. I immediately started noticing airports with runways that had ILS which does not align with the runway. The ILS has me landing in the grass next to the runway. This only happens at some runways.. Maybe because FSX is so old maybe the magnetic headings shifted or something? I downloaded the update magnetic variation, but it didn't seem to help. I also read about manually editing the airport with an airport editing utility, but I don't have the deluxe version of FSX so no SDK, which makes me unable to edit anything. This also seems like a very tedious process with to edit EVERY airport manually. Is there a universal fix for this or is it just something I have to live with?

 

 

Thank you!

Press the "D" key to make sure you've gotten rid of any drift effect?

I tried pressing the "D" key but its still the same. The ILS feathers must be misaligned with the runway center line.

No real fix. Real world charts change based on magnetic variation, FSX doesn't. The magnetic variation fix you downloaded only covers Europe, so if you fly anywhere else, you'll experience this. If you get FSCommander, it will give you the ILS courses based on your FSX scenery library. They'll rarely match the chart.

I tried pressing the "D" key but its still the same. The ILS feathers must be misaligned with the runway center line.

 

What airport(s) are you trying to fly into?

 

Also, even without the SDKs it is still possible to edit airports, though it is a payware utility. You can take a look at Flight1's Airport Facilitator X; http://www.flight1.com/products.asp?product=afxv1

 

Having tinkered with a couple thousand airports, by and large they are correct. Adding in nav data that has been changed since FSX's release and/or an airplane that utilizes such data is bound to introduce "issues" with the game.

The ILS feathers must be misaligned with the runway center line.

 

This is a problem for a few airports. DGAA (Kotoka Intl - Ghana) is one. Just flew into Preveza, Greece (LGPZ) and same same. Aircraft tracks neatly parallel to the centerline and will stick you in the grass (if you don't "sidestep").

 

Only "fix" I know of is to get something like Airport Design Editor and reposition the localizer antenna.

ILS transmitters are immune to "drift".

 

Not all ILS are aligned with the runway, some are offset due to terrain, populated areas, etc.

 

Only way to know for sure is to look at RW charts.

 

regards,

Joe

Get ADE , airport design editor, its free, open the airport bgl, corect the ILS heading and all done, takes 5 minutes. Theer are many airports in FSX that have errors with there ILS it isnt hard to fix.

ILS transmitters are immune to "drift".

 

Not all ILS are aligned with the runway, some are offset due to terrain, populated areas, etc.

 

Only way to know for sure is to look at RW charts.

 

Huh?

He prolly is talking about LDA approach.

 

I am confused about the drift part too...

He prolly is talking about LDA approach.

 

I am confused about the drift part too...

 

Probably, and LDA approach or Localizer Offset is not an ILS approach, it doesn't provide vertical guidance.

 

I think he's also confused about what the OP meant by drift. The OP is talking about magnetic variarion which is not drift, simply the change in the earth's magnetic field which changes compass headings. No NAVAID is immune to magnetic variation.

Get ADE , airport design editor, its free, open the airport bgl, corect the ILS heading and all done, takes 5 minutes. Theer are many airports in FSX that have errors with there ILS it isnt hard to fix.

 

Without checking RW charts how do you know that "FSX that have errors with there ILS"?

 

It has been my observation that most of the time FSX got it right.

 

Can you show me some specific examples where FSX differs from what was current when FSX was coded?

 

He prolly is talking about LDA approach.

 

Yup.

 

I am confused about the drift part too...

 

The topic title is "ILS drift?" and there is mention of magnetic variation and a fix for magnetic variation.

 

When I said that ILS are immune to "drift" I meant that magnetic variation has no impact on an ILS signal.

 

An ILS signal is not dependent on the compass and an ILS that points down the runway today will point down the runway a hundred years from now unless somebody changes it.

 

Yes, the compass reading you observe as you track a localizer will change over time (it will also change if the wind blows a different direction) due to magnetic variation. This has nothing to do with an ILS signal and most pilots I know ignore the compass when tracking an ILS.

 

Go ahead and align all the ILS with the runway that you want in the sim, you are free to do as you wish. This only makes it less than "as real as it gets".

 

regards,

Joe

 

Probably, and LDA approach or Localizer Offset is not an ILS approach, it doesn't provide vertical guidance.

 

I think he's also confused about what the OP meant by drift. The OP is talking about magnetic variarion which is not drift, simply the change in the earth's magnetic field which changes compass headings. No NAVAID is immune to magnetic variation.

 

You posted while I was typing and, no, I am not confused at all.

 

Please explain to me how ILS are affected by magnetic variation.

 

regards,

Joe

Probably, and LDA approach or Localizer Offset is not an ILS approach, it doesn't provide vertical guidance.

 

Some LDAs do provide vertical guidance.

 

KAMA LDA/DME RWY 22

 

 

Get ADE , airport design editor, its free, open the airport bgl, corect the ILS heading and all done, takes 5 minutes. Theer are many airports in FSX that have errors with there ILS it isnt hard to fix.

Can you show me some specific examples where FSX differs from what was current when FSX was coded?

 

mjrhealth... I'll help you out here... tell him DGAA and LGPZ are two examples.

 

 

Without checking RW charts how do you know that "FSX that have errors with there ILS"?

 

It has been my observation that most of the time FSX got it right.

 

Can you show me some specific examples where FSX differs from what was current when FSX was coded?

 

 

 

Yup.

 

 

 

The topic title is "ILS drift?" and there is mention of magnetic variation and a fix for magnetic variation.

 

When I said that ILS are immune to "drift" I meant that magnetic variation has no impact on an ILS signal.

 

An ILS signal is not dependent on the compass and an ILS that points down the runway today will point down the runway a hundred years from now unless somebody changes it.

 

Yes, the compass reading you observe as you track a localizer will change over time (it will also change if the wind blows a different direction) due to magnetic variation. This has nothing to do with an ILS signal and most pilots I know ignore the compass when tracking an ILS.

 

Go ahead and align all the ILS with the runway that you want in the sim, you are free to do as you wish. This only makes it less than "as real as it gets".

 

regards,

Joe

 

 

 

You posted while I was typing and, no, I am not confused at all.

 

Please explain to me how ILS are affected by magnetic variation.

 

regards,

Joe

 

You're right, the ILS inbound course us based on the MAGNETIC heading of the runway. The magneting heading of runways changes based on the variation change in the earth's magnetic field. For example, when FSX was first created, the runway heading of rwy 25L at Las Vegas was 257, it is now 255 due to the change every few years. So in FSX you should be flying an inbound course of 257, not the inbound course that is depicted on the chart today. The charts change, FSX does not.

 

 

 

Some LDAs do provide vertical guidance.

 

KAMA LDA/DME RWY 22

 

 

 

 

mjrhealth... I'll help you out here... tell him DGAA and LGPZ are two examples.

 

I stand corrected, however, this is not an approach that you could use as autoland vertical guidance, it's still a non precision approach. Not a precision approach like an ILS.

For more informatuon on LDA: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Localizer_type_directional_aid

 

And I guess I should use the words magnetic declination.