Established on the Localizer

[Guest TonyPiech]

When flying to an ILS runway, ATC says something like, "fly xxx heading until established on the localizer." I'm fying NAV with my radio NAV1 set to the localizer settings for the ILS runway. The NAV radio is giving me the beeping sounds, I set the autopilot for approach; which instrument reading informs me that I'm established or I'm still not established on the localizer? Tony

[Geofa 108]

Atc will give you an intercept angle to the localizer course-when the needle start moving (either on the hsi or your vor) you turn gradually to the published final approach course and intercept (e.g. get/keep the needle centered). At that point you are extablished..GeofaMy blog:http://geofageofa.spaces.live.com/

[Highmike 68]

"I'm fying NAV with my radio NAV1 set to the localizer settings for the ILS runway."I'd be inclined to fly the approach path with the AP in HDG mode rather than NAV because in HDG mode I can follow ATC directions, then hit the APP button when I'm lined up on the runway and both localiser and glideslope indicators are active.Mike.

[Guest fsxmissionguy]

Tony,Goef is a great pilot, and I am not a pilot, so I might be able to answer your question a different way without using all a lot of pilot jargon.The "localizer" (what a weird name for that) is the radio signal set up at an airport that shows your airplane the centerline of your runway. The localizer tells you if you're too far right, or too far left of the runway.(As opposed to the "glide slope indicator" which tells you if you are too high, or too low.)However, the radio transmitter that sends that signal out only sends that signal out for so many miles before the signal fades out. If your aircraft is still too far away from it (or too far left or right of it) your equipment won't be able to pick it up."Established" means ... "You're close enough to the radio signal that you can pick it up and track it."So ... "Until established on the localizer" means ... "Wait until you are close enough that your instrument is picking up the radio signal which will guide you left-right as you get closer to the airport."So ... the key question you have is: "How do I know when I'm close enough to pick up that radio signal."Answer: There is no gauge which says "You are established on a localizer."Instead, you have to infer it from the movement of a needle on a gauge. In the Cessna 172, the gauge is the VOR1 or VOR2 gauge. It looks like this:http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/191102.jpgIf that needle is moving, then you're "established." If it's not moving, then you aren't established. You're either too far away from it, too high or too far left or right.Adding: That gauge doesn't work unless you've tuned it using the NAV radio to the proper radio frequency for that runway. (You can get the correct frequency from the Map).Adding: FSX air traffic control will (almost) always bring you in at a 45-degree angle to your destination runway. So, as long as the radio is tuned properly, and you're not too high, that needle will always move once you get close enough to the airport. As it begins to move, you should start turning towards your runway, with the intent that as soon as that needle is centered, your turn is complete and you should be directly in front of the runway, centered on the centerline.Cheers,

[Guest JIMJAM]

Sounds like you are hitting the NAV button early.You have the autopilot on and following atc instructions.Example. You are at 5000 ft,heading 360. You are in heading mode so when ATC says, turn to heading...., you move the heading bug.Plane turn to that heading.When ATC says,descend to ....., you change the altitude to that number.Plane descends to that altitude.Once you have received which runway you will be landing on and assuming it has a ils, both loc and glide slope, go ahead and enter the number in both nav 1 and 2.The last transmission before they hand you over to tower,will give you a heading and altitude.Using the AP in heading mode,fly it until the loc, vertical needle starts to swing.Thats when you hit NAV. Make sure your plane if equiped with a gps, the gps/nav switch is on nav.The plane will the begins its turn and line up with the loc,aka runway centerline.Eventually, the horiz bar will start to come down. Thats the glide slop and when its just above the horizon, hit the approach button.The plane will now have both vertical and lateral guidance.Commom ILS radio problems.Wrong ils number entered in radio.Hitting the NAV button to early before crossing the loc.Gps/nav switch in GPS mode.Waiting till you are below the glide slope tohit thr approach button.Only one end of the runway has a ils and you are landing on hte wrong end.The runway has only a loc and no glideslope.And finally, try another plane as some of mine including expensive adddons have buggy radios.

[Guest TonyPiech]

Thanks for the responses guys, got it now.Tony