What does the last line mean?

Turbinerd · September 4, 2023 at 3:13 PM

This is the autopilot with nav source tutorial. Im flying the CRJ

TomB · September 4, 2023 at 6:07 PM

The runway course.

Turbinerd · September 4, 2023 at 9:19 PM

Quote from TomB

The runway course.

So it needs that even for ILS source?

Kishan8907 · September 5, 2023 at 8:43 AM

Quote from Turbinerd

So it needs that even for ILS source?

Approach course will be in degrees(0-360).

It'll be same as runway heading.

(FYI: Enable Auto-Tuning if you don't want to set it manually)

Small Planes · September 5, 2023 at 11:25 AM

Quote from Turbinerd

So it needs that even for ILS source?

The runway heading is same as the transmitter of the ILS localizer. It is a directed wave beam. ILS instrument vertical needle = localizer, horizontal needle = glideslope.

ILS: How The Instrument Landing System Works

The Instrument Landing System (ILS) is a radio navigation system that provides precision guidance to aircraft approaching a runway.

www.boldmethod.com

Jet-Pack (IPACS) · September 6, 2023 at 8:20 AM Official Post

The approach course is needed by the autopilot to capture the localizer beam. Once established only the localizer deflection is used. For most approaches the localizer is aligned with the runway centerline and thus the runway direction and approach course are identical.

Some approaches use an offset localizer, e.g. in the Innsbruck valley or at Sion. When mountains obstruct the straight in approach then the localizer is angled to the runway and pilots need to perform a slight turn during final approach.

Turbinerd · September 6, 2023 at 5:33 PM

Thanks for all the replies. I’ve managed to intercept the ILS once . My follow up question is, if I use the NAV mode on the autopilot, ILS source and the runway heading as course, what other restrictions are there or what other actions are needed for the autopilot to successfully put me on the localizer so I can switch to the APPR mode. Like, do I need to be within a certain distance, certain maximum bearing from the runway? The autopilot cannot use the localizer like a VOR since the beam only covers a narrow band , right? And yet I do get DME information .

Overloaded · September 18, 2023 at 10:52 PM

You need to be inside about 20 miles for the localiser and be reasonably close to the extended centreline. Some approaches are (left-right) localiser only but for an average 3 degree ILS (up-down) glideslope you will pick it up at 3,000 feet above the runway 10 miles out (or 2,000 ft 7 miles out etc.)

Select APP for autopilot tracking in a complex plane, they need the localiser course as discussed. Practice manually on the Cessna first.

YouTube videos explain it all.