BA ex-Midand MLS

[???pax]

Hi all,

Do the ex-Midland Airbus aircraft operated by BA have the Microwave Landing System fitted?

If so, was it a retro-fit?

Thanks

[point5]

No they don't.

[arthur harbrow]

Could someone please explain briefly what MLS is please?

[DaveReidUK]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microwave_landing_system

[eckhard]

Could someone please explain briefly what MLS is please?

Unfortunately, as it has turned out, a complete waste of money!
The only real advantage is that, due to the greater tolerance to interference of the microwave signal, reduced spacing can be achieved during low vis ops but unless you have either:
all aircraft equipped with MLS; or
a dedicated MLS-only runway
the benefits are not really tangible.
At LHR, a stream of BA Airbii may save a few seconds but the following ILS-only aircraft will still need standard spacing.
GLS (GPS Landing System) offers similar benefits but again, few airports and aircraft are so equipped.

[DaveReidUK]

As the saying goes, it seemed a good idea at the time. :O

[Gonzo]

No; it is a tangible benefit. It's far more than seconds.

When it was first used for CAT III, every MLS aircraft saved 1nm. With up to 25% of arrivals MLS equipped, landing rate in LVP could go from 24 per hour to 26-28. Not to be sniffed at in terms of delay profile.

GLS does not offer this benefit at all currently; I would be surprised if the first public transport CAT III GAST-D approach was made before 2021. At current pace, maybe '22 or '23?

And of those GLS-equipped aircraft flying today, how many are GAST-D? Not many, if any at all. So they will all need a software, if not a hardware upgrade before they can fly CAT III approaches.

In the meantime, wide aparture array ILS is the way forwards.

[chevvron]

Hi all,

Do the ex-Midland Airbus aircraft operated by BA have the Microwave Landing System fitted?

If so, was it a retro-fit?

Thanks
I would have thought all Airbus aircraft were deleivered with Multi Mode Receivers (MMR) fully capable of tuning MLS.

[chevvron]

As the saying goes, it seemed a good idea at the time. :O

eg Curved or offset approaches for environmental reasons.
When I did my NATS ATCO Staff Course back in '86, we were told 'no more ILS will be commisioned after 1992 and MLS only will be accepted after that'.
Someone lied, like they lied about 'no more LARS when Swanwick opens, it will have 10 FIR Radar positions'.

[Gonzo]

I would have though all Airbus aircraft were deleivered with Multi Mode Receivers (MMR) fully capable of tuning MLS.

No, only BA ordered MMRs.

It was a cost option, as GLS is today. Hence the low take up.

[DaveReidUK]

eg Curved or offset approaches for environmental reasons.

Apparently those are still at the "considered a good idea" stage.

https://stopegtrialsdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/image.png?w=474

:O

[???pax]

Thanks for the response and subsequent posts.

All interesting stuff.