View Full Version : IFR Training - capturing the localizer
For IFR Training if a student misjudges his position and the localizer needle suddenly comes alive and swings do you encourage him to make a sharp turn and keep the localizer active or is that too risky.
We were having a debate with two instructors - both had valid points of views.
One said that in actual conditions the most important thing is not to lose the localizer while the other stated that you want to avoid a sharp turn in such a scenario as you are too desparate to keep the localizer and thus might actually make too sharp a turn inadvertently.
Your thoughts?
Duchess_Driver
9th Jul 2010, 06:54
I was taught (and therefore teach) you should never go more than rate 1.
Mach E Avelli
9th Jul 2010, 08:59
Rate one is plenty. If you are outside the FAF, there should be no real urgency to get back on localizer, just be aware not to descend on glideslope until established within the criteria that your local regulator requires (half-scale or one dot? it seems to vary around the world). If as a result you end up high on glideslope it is usually not too hard to re-capture it from above, but most types won't do it on autopilot, so now you are stuck with flying it manually. At least until you get the needles back in the middle when most types will allow the autopilot to be re-engaged (if you have one!).
Making sharp turns close-in when IMC is a good way to lose the plot, or worse....
Tmbstory
10th Jul 2010, 07:35
Only make a rate one turn, if you overshoot, then intercept from the other side. As soon as the needle starts to move, reduce your angle of bank so that it it is never more than the degrees left to turn to the localizer heading.
Tmb
Lasiorhinus
10th Jul 2010, 08:58
If the localiser needle goes from full scale deflection and swings to full scale deflection on the other side before you (or the student) has time to react to capture it, your aircraft is well and truly inside the final approach fix, let alone the initial.
10 miles from the threshold, it will move slowly enough to capture without much hassle... If you do miss it, turn calmly back and try again.