Flying an ILS in VMC (Low hour PPL)
Thank you all. As I say, I have no intention of doing it, just purely wondered. The advice about calling a MayDay is evidently the way to do it.
So, on a related but slightly different note, can anyone briefly explain how they work, or is it too much detail for a forum?
Thank you
So, on a related but slightly different note, can anyone briefly explain how they work, or is it too much detail for a forum?
Thank you
No turns nothing.
Carb heat ON, flaps first setting, power reduction and wings level 400-500fpm rate of descent.
You get caught about an overcast, this is how you get down.
Declare an emergency and wings level let down.
Break out below and you should have a runway between your 11 and 1 o'clock.
You can practice this plenty with a flying buddy.
When this happens for real you'll be close to panic and only remember the basics.
In calm stratiform cloud you'll only need the lightest of corrections as a trimmed airplane will maintain a wings level constant rate descent on its own.
You have the right idea ( emergency) but you're making it too complex ( ILS approach)
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If you intend to do an IR or IR(R) in the near future, it would be well worth joining PPL/IR (Google it). You will get a loads of advice and support there. And probably offers of flights where you can see IFR approaches being flown.
You'd be welcome to come up with me, but would require a trek to Cardiff.
You'd be welcome to come up with me, but would require a trek to Cardiff.
Thank you B2N2, I'll get practising those
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tobster911,
I agree with B2N2, good advice. Make your buddy an I/R rated pilot who can file an IFR flight plan so you can legally go into cloud - that way you're legal and safe if wings level turns into anything but!
Also, someone before mentioned using Flight Simulator. I couldn't agree more. Back when I did my IFR ticket, I used MS Flight Simulator for the basics: getting my "scan" going, beacon bashing with and without wind, basic ILS work, etc. The beauty thing about this is that you can set a place in space and time and change the conditions - start out a 5,000' heading north to a beacon in IMC and fly over the beacon. Then go back to your starting point and add a 30* crosswind at 10 knots. See how things change. Do it again with a 60* crosswind at 10 knots. Then 90* @ 10. Then up the wind - 15 knots, 20 knots, 30 knots, etc. See what corrections you have to make to stay on track.
It is a great way to see the theoretical aspects play out in a nice, easy "practical" setting where the only thing getting hurt is your heat sink and the only thing you're paying is the electric company.
I agree with B2N2, good advice. Make your buddy an I/R rated pilot who can file an IFR flight plan so you can legally go into cloud - that way you're legal and safe if wings level turns into anything but!
Also, someone before mentioned using Flight Simulator. I couldn't agree more. Back when I did my IFR ticket, I used MS Flight Simulator for the basics: getting my "scan" going, beacon bashing with and without wind, basic ILS work, etc. The beauty thing about this is that you can set a place in space and time and change the conditions - start out a 5,000' heading north to a beacon in IMC and fly over the beacon. Then go back to your starting point and add a 30* crosswind at 10 knots. See how things change. Do it again with a 60* crosswind at 10 knots. Then 90* @ 10. Then up the wind - 15 knots, 20 knots, 30 knots, etc. See what corrections you have to make to stay on track.
It is a great way to see the theoretical aspects play out in a nice, easy "practical" setting where the only thing getting hurt is your heat sink and the only thing you're paying is the electric company.
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Spooky, but I had to do the ILS.....
Having got my IMC in Faro, where they didn't have ILS back in the day (80s), I had only performed VOR/DME and PAR (latter into Gibraltar). Then in UK I got caught above cloud and the ONLY option available (due lack of radar and reducing fuel) was an ILS. Fortunately I was very current on instruments and managed to hack it - but wouldn't recommend to anyone to try without training. I was fortunate on the day, and Pilot mag are due to publish the ILAFFT article sometime over next few months. Readers may think "plonker" but we've all done something and this was my big learning curve..........still here and flying nearly 30 years later.
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My airplane has wizzy, wizzy autopilots and ILS - all I have to do it tweak the throttle.
That said - first time I gave it a go - autopilots captured the ILS about ten miles out, turned to the runway, the glide slope on the STEC at about 7 miles out, tweaked the throttle and sat back fascinated at how well it did it.
Now the big problem, I was transfixed by it, getting nearer to the runway a shortish final - now thought "how do I switch it all off and land?" - all I really had to do was push the disconnect on the yoke, was not too sure so thought I would reverse what I had done to switch it on. Meanwhile airplane is now over the rabbit lights, nicely on course - got it all switched off as I was passing over the numbers at about 20ft, throttle back, flared and landed - never again!
I think the earlier comment that if one is messing with ILS one really needs to be able to fly by instruments - even if it is daylight and otherwise perfect. I don't use it anymore, but it is worthwhile having in case all else fails - down here there aren't too many alternates so one day I may need it - now I know to just check the trim lights are out and press the button.
Must do something about getting a IR one day.
That said - first time I gave it a go - autopilots captured the ILS about ten miles out, turned to the runway, the glide slope on the STEC at about 7 miles out, tweaked the throttle and sat back fascinated at how well it did it.
Now the big problem, I was transfixed by it, getting nearer to the runway a shortish final - now thought "how do I switch it all off and land?" - all I really had to do was push the disconnect on the yoke, was not too sure so thought I would reverse what I had done to switch it on. Meanwhile airplane is now over the rabbit lights, nicely on course - got it all switched off as I was passing over the numbers at about 20ft, throttle back, flared and landed - never again!
I think the earlier comment that if one is messing with ILS one really needs to be able to fly by instruments - even if it is daylight and otherwise perfect. I don't use it anymore, but it is worthwhile having in case all else fails - down here there aren't too many alternates so one day I may need it - now I know to just check the trim lights are out and press the button.
Must do something about getting a IR one day.
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How does it work?
Localizer at the far end of the runway (so aircraft on auto-land can use it to stay on the runway in zero visibility) transmits two lobes at different modulations on your selected frequency. Your aircraft's reciever interprets what it detects of the two signals and displays it as a "fly right / fly left" indication.
Glide slope aerial also transmits two lobes but on a paired frequency in the 300MHz range. Your receiver knows automatically which frequency is paired with the selected localizer frequency. It interprets the two signals to give you a "fly up / fly down" indication.
The shape of the lobes mean that you are funnelled onto the runway (so close in, a small deviation will move the indicator a long way).
There is a technical limitation / gotcha (which you would be trained for on an instrument course) in that the lobes can be picked up incorrectly if you are too high - so instead of going down at 3 degrees, if you follow them you would descend at a much steeper angle - so the training is especially important! A few airliners have come to grief that way.
HTH
Localizer at the far end of the runway (so aircraft on auto-land can use it to stay on the runway in zero visibility) transmits two lobes at different modulations on your selected frequency. Your aircraft's reciever interprets what it detects of the two signals and displays it as a "fly right / fly left" indication.
Glide slope aerial also transmits two lobes but on a paired frequency in the 300MHz range. Your receiver knows automatically which frequency is paired with the selected localizer frequency. It interprets the two signals to give you a "fly up / fly down" indication.
The shape of the lobes mean that you are funnelled onto the runway (so close in, a small deviation will move the indicator a long way).
There is a technical limitation / gotcha (which you would be trained for on an instrument course) in that the lobes can be picked up incorrectly if you are too high - so instead of going down at 3 degrees, if you follow them you would descend at a much steeper angle - so the training is especially important! A few airliners have come to grief that way.
HTH
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Riverrock83 - Thank you very much. That makes a lot of sense. It's so clever.
Absolutely, I think some people were missing the point of the post. I'd always undertake training, but just wondered if it was something that could be taught outside of an IR or IR(R) course, but I understand that it's not really. Hoping to do the course towards the end of the year, all being well.
Thank you
Absolutely, I think some people were missing the point of the post. I'd always undertake training, but just wondered if it was something that could be taught outside of an IR or IR(R) course, but I understand that it's not really. Hoping to do the course towards the end of the year, all being well.
Thank you
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Providing you fly visually there is no reason whatsoever why you can not follow an ILS. But what will you achieve by doing so? Firstly, there is the distraction. Then there is the looking out vs looking in and then lastly, there is the difference in technique. A visual pilot would typically set speed by attitude and ROD by power. When flying an ILS corrections typically start by using elevator to maintain the glide (which is fixed to the glideslope) and power to control the speed. Eventually it is still a power plus attitude equals performance equation, but the way yin get there is difficult.
Learning how to fly an ILS by yourself will probably lead to poor technique. So how can you start by yourself? Firstly learn to trim "gram perfect" and by that I mean whenever you let go of the stick the aircraft will fly for minutes doing whatever it was before you let go; same speed, heading and altitude. Now learn the magic numbers for your plane. At 2,000' your plane will require X degrees of pitch, Y rpm and will deliver Z knots. Learn the same at 3,000'. Now learn the numbers for different speeds. Now do the same for descents and climbs so you can deliver a set ROC/ROD at various airspeeds. Do the same for different configurations. It may seam over the top but if you can get the aircraft to do exactly what you want just by setting pitch and power, learning to fly on the clocks will be a doddle because you won't have to think about flying. It will give you the time needed to think what you need to do next and where the aircraft will be in the next few hours, minutes and seconds. Now you are ready to start learning to fly on instruments but you will also be a better visual pilot.
PM
Learning how to fly an ILS by yourself will probably lead to poor technique. So how can you start by yourself? Firstly learn to trim "gram perfect" and by that I mean whenever you let go of the stick the aircraft will fly for minutes doing whatever it was before you let go; same speed, heading and altitude. Now learn the magic numbers for your plane. At 2,000' your plane will require X degrees of pitch, Y rpm and will deliver Z knots. Learn the same at 3,000'. Now learn the numbers for different speeds. Now do the same for descents and climbs so you can deliver a set ROC/ROD at various airspeeds. Do the same for different configurations. It may seam over the top but if you can get the aircraft to do exactly what you want just by setting pitch and power, learning to fly on the clocks will be a doddle because you won't have to think about flying. It will give you the time needed to think what you need to do next and where the aircraft will be in the next few hours, minutes and seconds. Now you are ready to start learning to fly on instruments but you will also be a better visual pilot.
PM
