AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - November 2018 - 85

P&E

PROFICIENCY

Needle work
Flying the VFR ILS

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VFR PILOTS can practice following ILS guidance-provided they follow the rules for visual

flying. The localizer and glideslope pointers become more sensitive closer to the runway.

SURE, WE FIXED-WING PILOTS KNOW how to

land in visual conditions. Three degrees or
so, look at the whole runway, pick your spot,
and go for it; maybe use less flaps in squirrely
winds, appreciate VASIs and PAPIs, maybe
use a little crab, and pay attention to ground
effect. Sloppy landings infuriate CFIs, but
"any landing you can walk away from is a
good landing," right? Maybe.
VFR pilots can learn to fly more precise
approaches and relate to their instrument
cluster more effectively using an approach
I call the VFR ILS. Besides that, this taste
of instrument flying may motivate you to
check further into instrument training and
the rating itself.

CHARLES FLOYD

ILS VISUAL DISPLAY AND COMPONENTS

An instrument landing system is a set of
radio signals that provides guidance for the
pilot beginning several miles away from the
airport. In instrument conditions, pilots flying IFR can use the ILS to descend through
clouds to a designated decision altitude,
at which point they must see the runway

environment to continue the approach.
VFR pilots can practice using ILS guidance in visual conditions, but visual flight
rules for cloud clearance, visibility, and traffic separation still apply.
The pointers the pilot watches during an
ILS approach act somewhat like a standard
VOR's course deviation indicator (CDI), and
the CDI itself is part of the ILS depiction.
However, the pointers are far more sensitive.
The localizer is the guidance radio signal that usually begins at the far end of
the runway and extends up to 18 miles out
along the extended runway centerline. Its
purpose is to provide left-right (horizontal,
or lateral) guidance to the runway. The CDI
is used during the ILS to track the localizer.
The glideslope provides up-down (vertical) guidance for the ILS approach. The
glideslope is depicted on instrument-capable
VORs as a more-or-less horizontal bar with
its fulcrum usually pinned to the left edge of
the VOR display. In some instruments, such as
horizontal situation indicators, the bar moves
up and down while remaining horizontal.
www.aopa.org/pilot AOPA PILOT | 85

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AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - November 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - November 2018