Re-visiting the amazing "Synthetic ILS" (with a DC-3)

A while ago, after the New Year, I'd posted my 1st experience with this amazing "Synthetic ILS" tool that provides precise ILS-style guidance "For Every Runway At Every Airport in the Flight Simulator database". Recently, a newcomer (and a first time poster) had come across that old post of mine, and posed an inquiry here, and, thereby, revived my interest in it. Meanwhile, I was also thinking of trying it one more time for myself. Initially, I was attracted to this unique tool because it had appeared among the top 100 downloads (ranked 5th) for 2018 in the Flightsim.com Library (see file "aila_ils.zip" there). In fact, yesterday, at Flightsim.com, I noticed, there, an educative discussion of this instrument on-going via a dedicated Forum Thread. And, in the context of this post, I also wish to note, a couple of curious coincidences I ran into while preparing for this post. First, while I was looking for a suitable plane to test the tool, a freeware repaint of DC-3 (C-47), posted just this week, in the color of Fred Olsen Lines's 1970's fleet, caught my attention. The (associated) DC-3 (C-47) model is by the well-known FW developer, Manfred Jahn (of Connie and B-50 fame), which DC-3 model I've owned (and enjoyed) since a long time. But, it so turned out that Manfred (maker of the very same plane I pre-selected to use with with this tool) is actually one of the active participants (along with the tool Author Karol Chlebowski) in the Forum discussion thread I've referred to above! With many such (SIM) minds (actively) participating in that discussion...it seems quite an interesting thread, if one is interested in the topic! Next, here, follows my 2nd coincidence: after selecting the plane and livery for this post, when I went to visit the Wiki on Fred Olsen Air Transport Line, my chosen DC-3 repaint for this post happens to be one of the aircraft examples shown there. So, if you wish, you can click on that C-46 image on the "Fred Olsen Airtransport" Wiki page to see a nice (real) picture of the livery that's used here in this post.

So, please find, here, a short (scenic) flight (deliberately chosen at dusk for reasons below) on Orbx's (NZ-NI) from Napier (NZNR) northward to Turangi (NZTN) with Fred Olsen Line's DC-3. This route, to the southwestern edge of Lake Taupo (largest lake in NZ, and 2nd largest freshwater lake in the Oceania), takes me past (beautiful) rolling countrysides and 2 important landmarks (see screenshots of each below): (1) Mount Ruapehu is an active stratovolcano at the southern end of the Taupo Volcanic Zone in New Zealand with at least 60 eruptions since 1945. (2) Mount Tongariro, located 12 miles to the southwest of Lake Taupo, is the northernmost of the three active volcanoes that dominate the landscape of the central North Island.

Here is the link to a good Map of (NZ-NI), with locations of Napier, Turangi, Lake Taupo, and the 2 above mountains, if you wish to orient yourself with the route:
https://www.newzealand.com/assets/Tourism-NZ/PDFs/31df9f7120/p23573_23.pdf

And, here is an actual picture of Mt Ruapehu for comparison with the (SIM) image:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Ruapehu#/media/File:Tongariro_Northern_Circuit,_New_Zealand_(5).JPG

Anyway, after some such (interesting) sightseeing (and, in the process, losing track of reality), by the time I get to Turangi, darkness has already fallen (see the sequential [VC] shots with Synthetic ILS gauge) and menacing clouds are beginning to envelope me. Turangi is basically a grass-strip runway of about 2800' length, with absolutely no radio-guidance support of any kind nor any runway lights at all (at least in FSX)! So, comes to my rescue, the Synthetic ILS! Guided by its lateral and vertical cues, I am not only able to pre-align myself properly with this short runway, but also adjust my vertical speed (and airspeed) to precisely reach the runway threshold for a "proper" touchdown!  

Notes on the "Synthetic ILS" screenshots" (using the original version of the tool): There are 6 such images below (please also note the absence of any "real" LOC/GS signals on the (custom) STBY-PFD - indicating absence of any LOC/ILS support at this runway): (1) DME=20.5nm, RA=3778 feet, Both LOC/GS needles at the extreme edges (2) DME=17.3nm, RA=3772 feet, 30 deg RHS turn initiated to capture LOC, and LOC needle moving inward/left (3) DME=11.9nm, RA=3139 feet, LOC already aligned, GS needle moving downward and descent initiated (4) DME=1.7 nm, RA=564 feet, both LOC and GS needles now aligned and centered (5) DME=0.7nm, RA=247 feet, Both LOC and GS needles remain aligned and centered (6) DME=0.2nm, RA=(<100) 96 feet, LOC needle still remains centered, but, this close, GS needle is a non-factor, and throttle-cut initiated.

Most importantly, in (complete) darkness (and this RWY being just a grass-strip), there is no indication of any runway even beyond the last "Synthetic ILS" shot - a blind landing without LOC/ILS support! Typically, with some lighting, visual cues can be (should be) used, here, for the last 500 feet or so, but here, I've deliberately made it (overly and unrealistically) challenging! At RA=96 feet, I've opened it up to Dusk Lighting condition, just to show the point of actual touch-down. I touchdown (safe and sound) just near the windsock - properly on the grass-strip runway (please see last 3 shots)! It was simply amazing! I could not believe my eyes...! So, this ILS tool can be used for proper landing (with a bit of practice) on Bush/VFR type airfields even when the visibility has degraded. Personally speaking, I could have, no-way, accomplished this accurate landing, at such a grass-strip runway especially after dark...(actually, even with some daylight, misaligned touchdown on such runways, or/and a too-high (or a too-low) approach to the their thresholds has occurred more often than, I would like to admit, with my (SIM) aircraft ending up in the adjacent swamps! If you're further interested in this curious tool, please refer to the named file and the discussion thread cited above. And, if not the tool, hope, you'll, at least, enjoy these images of this classic plane below. The Fred Olsen Airtransport Line, I've chosen to fly here, was a Norwegian charter airline which operated for nearly half-a-century between 1946 and 1997, operating a variety of aircraft including C-47 Skytrains. Thanks for reading and viewing [Orbx(NZ-NI)/Manfred Jahn(DC3/C47)/REX]

Edited July 25, 20196 yr by P_7878