At what altitude does one usually intercept the glideslope or does each airport have its own specific intercept altitude? Thank you.

It is airport dependent as shown on the ILS approach charts. 2000-3000ft AAL seems typical though.

I keep my setting at 3000 and it usually works for all airports and when i see the GS pointer starting to move and gets to the center... I click on the APP button and the app mode takes over... but please try to be at the right landing speed while doing so... I hope this helps

Usually between 1600 and 2000 ft above ground level. I never saw any ILS with FAF (where you are about to intercepot GS) above 2000 AGL. Of course nothing prevents you from intercepting the GS slighly higher if ATC directs you so. But technically GS starts at FAF.Michael J.WinXP-Home SP2,AMD64 3500+,Abit AV8,Radeon X800Pro,36GB Raptor,1GB PC3200,Audigy 2http://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/forum/747400.jpghttp://www.hifisim.com/images/asv_beta_member.jpg

Some large airports such as KMSP have AAL (approximate) at 3000 stating an MSL of 4000 or maybe higher due to traffic considerations. The plates for KMSP have high default AAL entry altitudes but state lower when authorized by ATC. If you are being vectored for a closer-in intersect shorter final, you'll probably be directed to a lower altitude.

Heathrow (EGLL) charts show 2500(2421)ft for 09L/R, and 27L/R. Gatwick (EGKK) charts show 3000(2805)ft for 08R.

This is all correct. Therefore the real answer to the original question is "at whatever altitude ATC clears you".Michael J.

REAL men hand fly the approach :DXP Home SP2Asus P4P800-SE Intel 3.0GHZDDR 400 D/C 4x512MBLeadtek 6800GT 256MB (77.72)SB AudigyCH Products Yoke/Pedals USBSee you in the fence...CYYZ

>REAL men hand fly the approach :DREAL programmers use GOTO statement :-lolMichael J.WinXP-Home SP2,AMD64 3500+,Abit AV8,Radeon X800Pro,36GB Raptor,1GB PC3200,Audigy 2http://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/forum/747400.jpghttp://www.hifisim.com/images/asv_beta_member.jpg

>REAL men hand fly the approach :D>REAL pilots follow the procedures.

Real pilots fly by whatever means is correct for the situation, ATC instructions, and equipment at hand including paying attention to all parameters even if flying a coupled approach.But yes, it is nice to exercize skill flying a teardrop non-straight in approach. As you know this is often required due to terrain considerations requiring steep descents and in other cases obstacles not allowing a straight in. In these cases I use the A/P to maintain altitude and steer manually or use heading control to free up my - uhh - hands (mouse) for manipulating other stuff. With these type of approaches glide slope intersection altitude is pretty well fixed because the descent path of inbound final is shorter, the first part of descent taking place outbound.

>>>REAL pilots follow the procedures.If your flying modern planes (that fly via computer).You bet your arse these guys were flying by hand (a flight I had on a Beech 18).http://www.virtual-speed.com/stiff/media/beech_18.wmv;)XP Home SP2Asus P4P800-SE Intel 3.0GHZDDR 400 D/C 4x512MBLeadtek 6800GT 256MB (77.72)SB AudigyCH Products Yoke/Pedals USBSee you in the fence...CYYZ

"But technically GS starts at FAF"That's completely wrong. The glideslope starts at the extent of the broadcast range of the localizer transmitter, which is usually 10 nautical miles if the aircraft is within 35 degrees azimuth of the extended runway centerline, and in some cases extends up to 18 nautical miles when the aircraft is within 10 degrees azimuth.The final approach fix (marked with a maltese cross symbol on the profile view of an instrument approach plate) has nothing to do with the ILS glideslope. The FAF serves as a point of reference so that a pilot can safely descend to minimum descent altitude when established on the localizer and when the glideslope transmitter is inoperative. You seem to be confusing the final approach fix with the ILS outer marker. An airplane starts its descent on the glideslope from procedure turn altitude when the glideslope needle is centered and the aircraft is established inbound on the localizer. This point is usually demarcated with a special radio transmitter called an outer marker beacon (indicated with a blue flashing light you see on the panel accompanied by the - - - morse code signal). A suitable radio navigation fix, DME or compass locator is sometimes substituted when an outer marker beacon is not installed. Sometimes, but not always, the FAF is coincident with the outer marker or its substitute. The FAF and the outer marker are two completely different things.So how high above the ground is the airplane at the outer marker? The answer is: it varies. Glide slope projection angle is normally (but not always) set to 3 degrees above horizontal so that it intersects the outer marker approximately 4 - 7 miles from the end of the runway, 1400' above the runway elevation. If the outer marker beacon as at exactly the same elevation as the runway, then the airplane would be 1400' AGL for a typical ILS installation. If the terrain varied in elevation around the airport, then the airplane would be at absolute altitude different than 1400' AGL. AIM 1-1-9

I think the abbreviation should be FAP (Final Approach Point) not FAF (Final Approach Fix) for ILS approaches.The offical UK CAA charts I referred to in a previous post in this thread show the Maltese Cross and the words FAP for ILS/DME approaches, with only a Maltese Cross for non-ILS approaches. A Spanish chart for LEVD, shows an FAP with a note that it is also the FAF when the glidepath is unservicable. I found the following definition:"FAF represents the Final Approach Fix and FAP denotes the Final Approach Point. A fix is an identifiable place in the time/space continuum it exists at only one point and is identifiable by various means. A point, on the other hand, may occur at a number of places and is dependent solely on conditions being met. The FAF is generally where the Maltese cross is found and is identifiable by various methods. The FAF is used with any and all non-precision approaches. The FAP is the point at which the aircraft intercepts the final approach glide path designated by the glideslope and it may occur at any time those conditions are met."Could there be a difference between UK/EU and other countries in terminology?

Real dorks fly forks (up their ....) :-jumpy-dasher7