i know how to hand fly an ILS but never used the auto pilot when doing so. i think i have to enter the ILS freq. in Nav 1 and hit the approach button. i heard i need to intercept the glide slope from below. now, what exactly does that mean as far as height/altitude and distance? thanks, william

Hi William,Try flying with auto pilot first. While flying enter the altitude, heading and speed and then hit the autopilot switch (sometimes CMD). The plane should then perform the auto pilot instructions. For speed it's sometimes necessary to switch on the AT (auto throttle) and then the auto pilot speed switch.Heading, altitude and speed can now be controlled by altering the numbers in their small windows with your mouse while you relax and let the auto pilot do the work for you. Practice this a lot before you attempt any auto approaches. Don't use the auto pilot for take offs but switch it on after you have a positive rate of climb. Also don't forget that the auto pilot uses trim tabs to fly and not aerelons etc. Therefore, trim the plane out before you switch on the auto pilot.ILS transmitters generally have a range of about 27 N miles with a glide slope of 3 degrees. So before you get that far enter the ILS frequency in NAV 1 and the related runway heading in the course selector. Select a VOR/DME in the vicinity and place it's frequency in NAV 2. The same for any NDB usually the one somewhere within the path of the runway or near it. Now you are all set up for an ILS approach.See to it that your altitude is about 2000 feet above the runway and fly into the ILS beam at about 30 degrees and at low speed otherwise you will fly through it. When you see the glide slope symbol appear next to the attitude indicator at or near the top of it's scale, hit the AP approach button. The plane should now automatically line itself up with the runway when it gets into the beam and will begin it's controlled descent as soon as the glide slope symbol comes down past the middle. Now you decrease your speed further, extend flaps, gear etc. Don't forget to switch off the AT and auto pilot just before touchdown and always land manually.Attention: Sometimes the ILS beam cannot be approached from either the left or the right so if something goes wrong, have another go at approaching the beam from the other side. It may even be possible that the runway you have chosen is not the active one and you may have to do the approach from the other end of the runway.I feel that these basic instructions will get you a long way but they are definitely not the whole story. Watch the three needles as you do your approaches and learn their functions. Later you can use them for actual navigation towards the ILS beams.Good luck and practice a lot.HansHolland

The approach plates give some good info, too.

>ILS transmitters generally have a range of about 27 N miles>with a glide slope of 3 degrees. So before you get that far>enter the ILS frequency in NAV 1 and the related runway>heading in the course selector. Select a VOR/DME in the>vicinity and place it's frequency in NAV 2. The same for any>NDB usually the one somewhere within the path of the runway or>near it. Now you are all set up for an ILS approach.If I may ask, what is the purpose of selecting a nearby VOR/DME into NAV2? Thank you.

>If I may ask, what is the purpose of selecting a nearby>VOR/DME into NAV2? Thank you.Those are useful to provide a "cross-reference" or "reality" check against the ILS/localizer data displayed...

>>If I may ask, what is the purpose of selecting a nearby>>VOR/DME into NAV2? Thank you.>>Those are useful to provide a "cross-reference" or "reality">check against the ILS/localizer data displayed...>Can you elaborate on that please?

Hi there Steve and Bill.Well, you both hit the nail right on it's head but for someone new to flying I thought that what you guys write would be one of the next learning stages. So in order not to produce a story of a few feet long, I left it at that.Anyway William, just taking off and flying around is definitely not "As real as it gets". You need at least an aeronautical map to navigate from one VOR/DME to the next (follow your needles) along your flight path and like Steve writes, an airport approach plate (= map) on which all VORs, ILSs, NDBs in the vicinity and runway headings are mapped, is also necessary. From the last VOR along your flight path, the map (plate) will give you the heading to the beginning of the ILS beam but this method is only for your initial practice. Such an airport approach plate also defines approach routes, altitudes, holding patterns, speeds and a lot more, so if you want to fly "As real as it gets" then I'm afraid you'll need to take some lessons.FS has rather good flying lessons on different levels including those for an Instrument Rating. Take some lessons and try the so called "Check Ride" (= exams). Maybe soon you will be able to print your certificates and hang them on the wall but please begin at the beginning with the basics and don't jump to somewhere in the middle.A very good shareware navigational map system for the whole world is FSNavigator. I would like to suggest that you get hold of it for practicing aeronautical navigation at least befor you migrate further to flights guided by the FS Air Traffic Control system. Happy landingsHansHolland

Nav 1 with it's accompanying needle is the most important radio e.g. for tuning ILS frequencies because only this radio is linked to the auto pilot and can follow an ILS (= Localiser) glide path. However, Nav 1 can also be used for tuning to the next VOR/DME along your flight route while you are following the needle slaved to the Nav 2 frequency. As soon as you pass the VOR/DME tuned on Nav 2(the needle swings around) you follow the heading given by the Nav 1 needle. Then you tune Nav 2 to the same frequency as Nav 1 and it's needle will then also point to the same heading. Then you tune Nav 1 to the next VOR/DME and so on until you get near the airport.When you get near the airport you use Nav 1 and the runway heading (course) purely for the auto ILS approach and any VOR/DME tuned in Nav 2 is at that moment only for cross checking your position and heading on the approach plate (map) in relation to your approach to the ILS beam. The short range ADF radio is for further cross checking your position against the map when near the airport.Good luckHansHolland

thanks hans and each and every one of you. i guess i came across as a rookie but have been flying FS since its infancy. not all the time by the book though. i've been pretty much of a hand flyer in both GA and commercial "big stuff" but slowly getting into the auto pilot. my favorite was altitude hold then got into heading hold and the wing leveler. yea, simple but hey, it works for me. currently i've been flying commercial. i had a habit of using VASI instead of an ILS but that was in pretty much clear skies. i won't rattle on here and bore everyone to tears so a BIG thanks to all. question answered! william

hiif one is flying a purely VOR/DME approach i presume that the field has to have good weather, because ive seen on charts that the actual VOR station could be abit off the airport runway it self, so i mean if there is alot of cloud and your doing a purely VOR/DME approach then you may not see the runway in time and not be able to correct the heading to land the plane correctly if there is clouds or fogsso the q is what altitude of clouds and visability is minimum to do a VOR/DME approach, i also presume if clouds etc are blocking the runway then the ILS approach is used?

hi clayton, there are minimum altitudes for VOR approaches on the approach charts so you'd need to look there for those. there's also a circling type thing around the airport with low visiblity but you have to keep the airport in sight the whole time which can be hard to do. anyway, you'll need to check the charts to get the correct altitude. william

thanks Williami posted a chart for the approach for YMML on the other thread you can tell me all about it on that chart, make it easier for methanks.