Landing 27R Heathrow

[PhineasC]

I spent a couple of hours on the BA 747 400 flight simulator at the weekend. Had a great time, wonderful pilot, helpful and understanding. A couple of questions arose from this: landing on 27R at Heathrow, do you have to be heading 240 before you can use the ILS, and how far from Heathrow do planes start using the ILS?

[tubby linton]

Intercept heading is normally about thirty degrees off the centreline heading and depends on your direction of flight.Normal intercept can be anywhere from about 15 miles out and depends on local geography etc.At Malaga you interept the localizer at twenty two miles!Ideally the latest you would want to do it is no less than six miles.

[TopBunk]

PhineasC

No, you do not have to be heading 240, this applies generally to aircraft being vectored from the north.

Generally, however, air traffic control (ATC) will give you a heading from which you will intercept the ILS centreline. This heading is normally about 30 degrees different to the final approach track, so either 240 or 300 degrees for westerly operations, but this 30 degree can vary between 20 and 40 degrees from experience, as a function of wind, traffic and radio congestion (it can sometimes be turn right heading 300 degrees and establish from the south!)

Furthermore, the ATC instructions will normally be something like "callsign .... turn right/left heading 240/300 degrees, descend 3000 feet QNH 1020, report localiser establlished". The point at which you establish on the localiser will usually get from ATC "callsign .... descend with the glideslope" followed at the same time, or shortly thereafter, by speed instructions and an instruction to contact LHR Tower.

[wiggy]

Had a great time, wonderful pilot, helpful and understanding

Blimey, we should have him stuffed :8

Anyhow glad you enjoyed the experience.