Runways Not Supporting ILS

An old problem (for me) revisited. I have found that most of the runways in FSX do not have ILS. They will be assigned an ILS frequency, but the plane will not respond to the localizer nor descend down the glide slope.

 

Back when I first confronted this problem, I found that AFCAD could be used to fix the problem. I could go into AFCAD for the desired airport and set whatever runway I wanted to work with ILS. Sadly, my current version of AFCAD is so old, I can no longer activate it - something about a missing file with a horribly complicated fix which I am not willing to try.

 

Is there a current version of AFCAD that I can download for use with FSX?

 

If not, any thoughts on how to deal with the many runways in FSX that do not respond to ILS?

Edited February 10, 2021 by pdmike

I have found that most of the runways in FSX do not have ILS. They will be assigned an ILS frequency, but the plane will not respond to the localizer nor descend down the glide slope.

 

The first part of your statement is absolutely true, most runways do not have an ILS. But those runways do not have an ILS frequency assigned, either. Perhaps you are speaking of major airports such as O'Hare or JFK, in which case they usually do have both a frequency and an ILS, at least on one or two runways. Perhaps you could mention an airport or two which you find has a freq but no ILS, and perhaps we could help.

 

Meantime, I don't think there has ever been an AFCAD for FSX (at least I don't recall one), but ADE has been around for FSX and for P3D for many years. It's more capable than AFCAD was, and can be found at: https://www.scruffyducksoftware.com/

Is there a current version of AFCAD that I can download for use with FSX?

AFX is very similar to AFCAD in use and was designed for FSX.

 

John

I echo lnuss' statement. Exactly what runway was supposed to have an ILS? ILS runways work for me in FSX without further modifications. If it is the case of the glide slope not capturing, make sure you capture it from underneath (meaning the glide slope indicator should be higher than the center) and are slow enough for the aircraft to be able to keep the glide slope centered as it descends. Check approach plates for the runway you want to use - you may be too far away to actually capture the glide slope so check the distance you need to be to ensure the capture. I used to struggle with capturing the GS until I attempted the above tips and am able to capture it maybe 95% of the time now.

I echo lnuss' statement. Exactly what runway was supposed to have an ILS? ILS runways work for me in FSX without further modifications. If it is the case of the glide slope not capturing, make sure you capture it from underneath (meaning the glide slope indicator should be higher than the center) and are slow enough for the aircraft to be able to keep the glide slope centered as it descends. Check approach plates for the runway you want to use - you may be too far away to actually capture the glide slope so check the distance you need to be to ensure the capture. I used to struggle with capturing the GS until I attempted the above tips and am able to capture it maybe 95% of the time now.

 

I regularly use manual landing and even use a manual approach on many airfields in GB. What makes you feel that ALL runways should have one? You also need to remember that the `next thing` coming now are GPS approaches where they have no ILS, neither beam nor radio.

 

Increasing numbers of US airports now work that way. Dunno about the ROTW...

I regularly use manual landing and even use a manual approach on many airfields in GB. What makes you feel that ALL runways should have one? You also need to remember that the `next thing` coming now are GPS approaches where they have no ILS, neither beam nor radio.

 

Increasing numbers of US airports now work that way. Dunno about the ROTW...

 

 

Perhaps I should have limited my statement somewhat. Of course not all runways in FSX have ILS. In fact, most of them don't. I fly the big jets with takeoff and destination airports limited to the major airports around the country. LAX, SFO, SEA, on the West Coast and other major airports in other states. All of the airports I "visit" have ILS frequencies assigned to at least several of their runways if not more.

 

And, I have found that, at the majority of the major airports with ILS runways, the big jets will not respond to the ILS frequencies assigned.

The first part of your statement is absolutely true, most runways do not have an ILS. But those runways do not have an ILS frequency assigned, either. Perhaps you are speaking of major airports such as O'Hare or JFK, in which case they usually do have both a frequency and an ILS, at least on one or two runways. Perhaps you could mention an airport or two which you find has a freq but no ILS, and perhaps we could help.

 

Meantime, I don't think there has ever been an AFCAD for FSX (at least I don't recall one), but ADE has been around for FSX and for P3D for many years. It's more capable than AFCAD was, and can be found at: https://www.scruffyducksoftware.com/

 

I think you are missing my question. I am talking only about the large, major airports that have ILS frequencies assigned to their runways. My experience has been that, even though an ILS frequency is assigned to a runway in such airports, the planes I fly (large passenger jets) will not respond to the ILS frequencies, even though those frequencies exist and are assigned to the runway where I am trying to land.

 

Just one (of many) examples of such an airport is Ontario, CA, Rwy 8L. This runway is assigned an ILS frequency of 109.7. My jets will not respond to that Rwy/ILS frequency, even though I have it set on the Nav 1 radio. Am I missing something? Is there some other setting that should be activated? (Believe me, I am capable of a basic goof like that.)

Does the ILS code ever appear on your display? Do you have the NAV1 audio on so you can hear the morse code identifier when you come into range (about 26 miles away)? Most major airports will have a DME also displayed along with the ILS code.

The first part of your statement is absolutely true, most runways do not have an ILS. But those runways do not have an ILS frequency assigned, either. Perhaps you are speaking of major airports such as O'Hare or JFK, in which case they usually do have both a frequency and an ILS, at least on one or two runways. Perhaps you could mention an airport or two which you find has a freq but no ILS, and perhaps we could help.

 

Meantime, I don't think there has ever been an AFCAD for FSX (at least I don't recall one), but ADE has been around for FSX and for P3D for many years. It's more capable than AFCAD was, and can be found at: https://www.scruffyducksoftware.com/

 

I have ADE165. However, when I try to open it, I get the following:

 

"Unfortunately, ADE cannot find the Bgl compiler. It has looked in both your settings file and and the registry and cannot find a valid path. This probably means that your FSX SDK is not installed in the default folder and/or the registry entry for the SDK does not match the location of the SDK.

Until this is corrected, it is not going to be possible to compile your airport. Click on OK to open a help on how to resolve this or Cancel if you want to deal with it yourself."

 

The Help section says the following:

 

"The FSX SDK is not available with the Standard Edition of FSX. you need the deluxe or Gold edition. If you have the standard edition then you cannot use ADE. The SDK is not free and not available for download. If you want to use ADE ( and a number of other tools for FSX) then you would need to purchase one of the other editions."

 

Of course I have no idea which Edition of FSX I have. HOWEVER, I get this same message when I try to open AFCAD and I know that, at one time five or six years ago, I WAS able to open and use AFCAD with this same edition of FSX I have on my computer now.

 

I'm off to see if I can find out which edition of FSX I have.

 

I'm back. I have the Deluxe edition. Next step: determine whether or not I have SDK installed. Doing that. Stand by ....

 

Well, don't hold your breath. I am hitting a huge snag trying to see whether or not I have "SDK" installed. I can't begin to figure out where to even look. I'm almost certain I have it, or I wouldn't have been able to run AFCAD a while back. Any help here? I didn't see it anywhere in my FSX folder. Should I be looking elsewhere?

Edited February 12, 2021 by pdmike

Does the ILS code ever appear on your display? Do you have the NAV1 audio on so you can hear the morse code identifier when you come into range (about 26 miles away)? Most major airports will have a DME also displayed along with the ILS code.

 

If you mean have I tuned the ILS frequency into Nav 1, the answer is yes. I rarely turn on the morse code identifier because of the racket it makes. I don't think the DME has any relevancy to my problem of the plane not responding to the ILS, do you?

I echo lnuss' statement. Exactly what runway was supposed to have an ILS? ILS runways work for me in FSX without further modifications. If it is the case of the glide slope not capturing, make sure you capture it from underneath (meaning the glide slope indicator should be higher than the center) and are slow enough for the aircraft to be able to keep the glide slope centered as it descends. Check approach plates for the runway you want to use - you may be too far away to actually capture the glide slope so check the distance you need to be to ensure the capture. I used to struggle with capturing the GS until I attempted the above tips and am able to capture it maybe 95% of the time now.

 

Thanks. Good stuff. I always land passenger jets using ILS. Been doing it for a long, long time. So I am aware of the necessity of "coming up from under" on the glide slope. I always do that. My speed when the carat starts to descend is always around 150 with gear down and full flaps, so got that covered regarding speed, I think. Once the carat begins to descend, we can be assured I am close enough to the runway.

 

My problem is, the carat descends from the top down, passes the midpoint and keeps descending, but the plane just keeps flying at the same altitude. It is most frustrating.

 

Maybe I am not checking something on or off that should be activated or deactivated? The problem with that is, that when I am landing at a runway where the ILS "works" for the plane, I don't have any problem descending the glide slope.

OK - I guess I need help with sdk. What is it? How can I tell whether or not I have it on my computer?

I'm back. I have the Deluxe edition. Next step: determine whether or not I have SDK installed. Doing that. Stand by ....

 

Well, don't hold your breath. I am hitting a huge snag trying to see whether or not I have "SDK" installed. I can't begin to figure out where to even look. I'm almost certain I have it, or I wouldn't have been able to run AFCAD a while back. Any help here? I didn't see it anywhere in my FSX folder. Should I be looking elsewhere?

 

My SDK is in C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK

My SDK is in C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK

 

Well, mine isn't. I don't know where the heck it is or if I even have it.

 

But, you know, I'm thinking this through - why am I even worrying about sdk? Because I need to locate it so I can open ADE. But what do I want to do with ADE? Fix the ILS runways so their frequencies mesh with planes I am trying to land there. OK - but what I think I'm hearing from more than a couple of guys here, is that they don't have this problem to begin with; that whenever a runway is assigned an ILS frequency, all of their planes land using ILS with no problem.

 

If that's the case, then I think I am probably wasting my time (and everyone else's) honking around with sdk and ADE. Let's go back to square one. Why am I having this ILS problem to begin with when others don't seem to have it?

 

When I have more time (dinner now), I will come back and go through all of the settings I run while attempting to effect an ILS landing.

One thing I've noticed about catching the glideslope is it has to be active when pressing the app button. If you press the app button before the glideslope is active, the airplane will not catch it. Ive done many ILS approaches in the sim and I frequently will line up using the localizer (by pressing the app button) long before the glideslope is active. Once the glide slope is active, I'll press the app button again to assure the plane will catch the glideslope. Hope this helps. Edit: I do use morse code to know the localizer is active. As soon as I hear it I know to switch from GPS to NAV then hit app to line up. Morse code can help a lot. Edited February 12, 2021 by mqytn

come in below GS flying level altitude. 3000 ft above ground. 30Nm out. Straight in.

Do so with AP and AP on. Also ALT-hld HDG-hld and SPD-hld on. Plus AP and AT on of course.

 

Then press APP mode.

 

If that does not work in your aircraft, try a different aircraft at the same runway, a default aircraft.

If you mean have I tuned the ILS frequency into Nav 1, the answer is yes. I rarely turn on the morse code identifier because of the racket it makes. I don't think the DME has any relevancy to my problem of the plane not responding to the ILS, do you?

 

How would you know that you are in range of the ILS if you don't hear the Morse code (which can be easily shut off once it's heard. If you also see a DME indication, that's a good sign there will also be a glideslope to catch. Also, if you quickly popup your GPS and are within 15 miles of the runway, you will see the green feathers of the runway ILS glideslope.

 

Most radios popup using Shift+2 and GPS uses shift+3 Both easy for quick looks.

Great tips in these last three posts. Will run through it, trying all of them. Letcha know!

come in below GS flying level altitude. 3000 ft above ground. 30Nm out. Straight in.

Do so with AP and AP on. Also ALT-hld HDG-hld and SPD-hld on. Plus AP and AT on of course.

 

Then press APP mode.

 

If that does not work in your aircraft, try a different aircraft at the same runway, a default aircraft.

 

Default aircraft. Hmmmm. I fly an add-on aircraft almost exclusively. Maybe, if the problem persists, I will give it a shot with a default aircraft. Good suggestion.

You might also mention specific airports and runways where you have the problem.

Default aircraft. Hmmmm. I fly an add-on aircraft almost exclusively. Maybe, if the problem persists, I will give it a shot with a default aircraft. Good suggestion.

 

Another tip for FSX users: check to make sure your aircraft's NAV/GPS switch is set to NAV when you are no longer following your flight plan (approaching for the ILS landing). For default aircraft it is more obvious. For add-on aircraft, it is easy to miss. For example in one of my add-on aircraft the "FMC" button is the GPS button and the "V/L" button is for NAV. Also ensure the display you are using for the localizer and glideslope has the ILS frequency selected.

 

I don't think there is anything wrong with your airport data. You are likely missing a step to ensure the glide slope is captured. I hope others' tips help you.

Somehow this sounds like you are never capturing the localizer to make your turn towards the runway. Make sure your APP/APR/Localizer button is lit so the A/P can do it's thing! ;)

You might also mention specific airports and runways where you have the problem.

 

Rwy 8L at Ontario (CA).

Hole everything, guys. I think I have the problem solved. Things work a lot better when I am using a default FSX plane.

Glad that solved your problem (almost) -- now you can explore that aircraft for possible work-arounds.