ILS Help!

**brianomarr** · 06-19-2011, 06:40 PM

Please help me. I have been trying to land with ILS with the default 737 of FSX but I just can't make it. I always follow the procedure given in the FSX flight lessons. This is what I do:
1. Tune NAV 1 with ILS freq.
2. Set the runway course
3. When the Morse code beeps, I press the "VOR LOC" button
4. When it detects the glide slope, I turn on the "APP" approach
5. When I'm close enough, I disable A/P and land manually.

The problem is that the plane can't align with the runway. For example, the pink diamond (the one for horizontal guidance) is at one side, so the plane turns (with A/P), the diamond reaches the center, but the plane doesn't stop turning, so the diamond then goes to the other side. This happens over and over again until I finally hit the ground at one side of the runway.

I have no problem with the glide slope and descent.

Please help me,

brianomarr

**Kapitan** · 06-19-2011, 07:03 PM

Hi,
Before you press APP, are flying the runway course? It seems you are not, because you mention the diamond turne and passes the course.
I say this because if you are slightly off, just a few degrees, when you press APP it will correct and align fine.

But if your heading is too far away from runway course, and the plane needs a steep turn to take it on course, there is no time for it to recover and a pendul movement starts without never aligning.

Another thing, are you above glide slope? Try to position yourself like 4000ft at 20 miles, that will give plenty of time for the autopilot to adapt corrections.

K

**jomni** · 06-19-2011, 07:04 PM

NAV/GPS mode... are you in NAV mode?

**brianomarr** · 06-19-2011, 09:06 PM

Originally Posted by Kapitan

Hi,
Before you press APP, are flying the runway course? It seems you are not, because you mention the diamond turne and passes the course.
I say this because if you are slightly off, just a few degrees, when you press APP it will correct and align fine.

But if your heading is too far away from runway course, and the plane needs a steep turn to take it on course, there is no time for it to recover and a pendul movement starts without never aligning.

Another thing, are you above glide slope? Try to position yourself like 4000ft at 20 miles, that will give plenty of time for the autopilot to adapt corrections.

K

Hi, thanks for answering. I will try to line up with the runway manually before turning the APP on.
I am not above the glide slope. What I do is that I intercept the glide slope from above and then start to descend. I can't position myself because ATC tells me to turn and clears me for approach right before entering the ILS signal (I'm not sure if you say it this way, the green lines in the map in FSX)

I'll let you know if it works,

brianomarr

**brianomarr** · 06-19-2011, 09:08 PM

Originally Posted by jomni

NAV/GPS mode... are you in NAV mode?

I'm using NAV mode.

**PPSFA** · 06-19-2011, 09:51 PM

"The problem is that the plane can't align with the runway. For example, the pink diamond (the one for horizontal guidance) is at one side, so the plane turns (with A/P), the diamond reaches the center, but the plane doesn't stop turning, so the diamond then goes to the other side. This happens over and over again until I finally hit the ground at one side of the runway. "

Be sure you are not too close or too fast when intercepting the approach or the plane will overshoot the LOC. You should be slowed down, lined up, and fully configured to land 5-8 miles out. 160kts is plenty for the 737, 150 if you have it 'dialed in'.

**brianomarr** · 06-20-2011, 04:56 PM

Hi, I tried to land again at RWY 25L at LAX. I didn't have as many problems as I usually do. The thing is that I had to turn manually to align with the runway before turning on the auto pilot. Is this normal or should the AP do all the alignment?

brianomarr

**bretwizer** · 06-20-2011, 08:57 PM

I'm not sure if I do it correctly but I stay in AP in NAV mode with the HDG button set heading toward the airport. In the mean time I set the GPS for approach and head closer to the long red line(about 10 miles out)shown on the GPS. When 15 or so miles out I switch to GPS mode and hit the NAV button. This will let the AP line me up way before the marker. Then when I hit the marker I switch to NAV mode and hit the APP button and the APU switch. Is this wrong?