Localizer Approaches

1939. Doesn't this remind you of a simpler time? No instrument approach needed here. Sorry, no prizes for guessing the type aircraft.

You've had plenty to read so far, so we'll get right into some flights. All flights in this section end with Localizer Approaches, with no vertical guidance information provided. Thus they all are non-precision approaches, and Minimum Descent Altitudes, MDAs, will apply.

Some pilots call non-precision approaches "Dive and Drive"—"Dive" to the MDA and then you're so low that you feel you could almost "Drive" to the runway.

Five practice flights provide lots of variety on types of Localizer approaches.

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Most of the skills learned when flying VOR approaches are applicable to Localizer approaches.

• Turn towards the needle to correct for drift—except for a Back Course approach when you do the opposite and turn away from the needle to correct for drift.
• Don't chase the needle.
• Establish the proper Wind Correction Angle very early in the approach.
• Stabilize the approach so that only power changes are needed for altitude changes.

The biggest difference, of course, is the four-times increase in sensitivity when tracking a localizer. Off course by one degree is a two-dot deflection on the Indicator gauge. A half-degree misalignment is one dot.

How do you correct a heading that is misaligned by one-half degree? You "kick it over." Yes, that means rudder pedals. And you kick the pedal on the side that you want to turn. Right turn. Right pedal. You simply don't bank a plane when you want to make a 1° heading adjustment.

One of the joys of flying the MS flight simulators are that the aircraft are generally very stable on heading. It's too bad the same can't be said for altitude stability. So once you have established your heading, your aircraft is likely to stay where you want it all the way down the pipe to the runway.

A joystick is the least satisfactory control when flying a localizer or ILS. It is very difficult to make small changes with a joystick. They are super in combat situations when you want to roll out of a tough situation, but not ideal for holding the localizer.

A yoke is the next step up from a joystick. It's easier to make small heading corrections with it than a joystick. The realism is more satisfying, too.

And, as mentioned, rudder pedals with a yoke is the best possible choice. Now you have the same control over your flight that a pilot flying the big iron has (and the same control as one who flies the small iron, too).

Something to think about when your tax refund arrives and you're puzzled about how to spend it.

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The first flight is from Newburgh, N.Y., KSWF, to the Essex Co. airport, KCDW, in Caldwell, N.J.

Localizer approaches are very similar to VOR approaches with a few slight differences. The most noticeable will be the increased sensitivity of the needle on the localizer indicator. As already mentioned, it is four times as sensitive as when the Nav receiver is tuned to a VOR signal.

Also recall that the OBS setting has no impact on the needle. So get into the habit of setting the OBS to the localizer approach course as a reminder of where you are going. It will be one less thing to write down or remember and it is always in front of you.

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This first flight is easy and enjoyable. The flight begins at Stewart Int'l airport, KSWF, in Newburgh, N.Y. with a destination of Essex Co. airport, KCDW, in Caldwell, N.J. The localizer approach is to Runway 22. Click on the image above to download the flight-information package, swf-cdw.zip.

The zip-file includes the IFR chart, the approach plate for LOC Rwy 22 at Caldwell, and this text description of the flight.

We proceed south-bound from Stewart, tracking to the Teterboro VOR, but intersect the localizer to Caldwell's Runway 22., before reaching Teterboro. We turn right to track inbound to Caldwell with a straight-in landing to Runway 22. We must pass a VOR intersection after the FAF before descending below 800 ft.

As usual, do nothing until you have gone through the step-by-step details of the flight with this text and your charts. Only by doing this will you both understand the purpose of each step, but you will visualize them in your mind, a critical part of instrument flight.

NOTE: Fly the Instrument Approach portion with your Nav-2 Receiver for better needle visibility.

• Set the flight simulator weather conditions to 1100 ft overcast, cloud tops at 10,000 ft., and two miles visibility. The wind is calm.
• Move the aircraft to Stewart's Runway 16, airport KSWF, and retract the flaps to 0°.
• Tune the Nav-1 receiver to the Teterboro VOR, 108.4 MHz., ident TEB.
• Set the VOR-1 OBS to the vicinity of 190°. You will center the needle with the OBS after takeoff and track that radial until intercepting Caldwell's localizer. Fly the first leg with Nav-1.
• Tune the Nav-2 receiver to Caldwell's localizer, 109.35 MHz., ident I-CDW.

• Set the VOR-2 OBS to 223°, the localizer track to the runway.
• Reset the timer to zero.
• Takeoff from Runway 16, climbing out with a modest right turn 190°.
• Fly Nav-1. When your VOR-1 comes alive, and warning flags disappear, readjust the OBS as necessary to center the needle. Observe that a TO flag is showing and then ident the VOR, TEB.
• Track that radial to Teterboro. ATC has cleared you to 4000 ft. Climb at 90 kts., then cruise at 110 kts. after reaching your assigned altitude.
• You will intercept Caldwell's Runway 22 localizer before reaching the Teterboro VOR, about 13 min. into the flight.
• Begin your descent to 2000 ft. when the VOR-2 Localizer needle comes alive, i.e., when you can see movement towards the center of the gauge. Descent rate should be no more than 500 to 700 fpm.
• Note from the diagram on the approach plate that the 25 NM MSA is 3000 ft. You will intercept the localizer at about 18 NM from the field, putting you well within the 10 NM safe radius for the Localizer approach. Observe that the safe radius centers on the FAF, some 5 NM before the field. Therefore you can go immediately to the altitudes shown for the approach, which is 2000 ft, until reaching the FAF.
• Ident the localizer before committing to the right turn, I-CDW.
• Fly Nav-2. Turn right to heading 223° on intercept to track inbound to Runway 22.
• Continue your descent to 2000 ft.
• Slow to 75 kts. and drop one notch of flaps.

It's vital to stabilize the approach well before beginning your descent to the MDA.

• Readjust the VOR-1 OBS to 323°—a FROM flag should appear. When that needle centers you are at the FAF for the Runway 22 approach. Monitor its progress to keep appraised of your relative distance to the FAF.
• Maintain 2000 ft. until the FAF.
• The Outer Marker beacon will sound out dashes at the FAF, and the Blue OM light will appear on the marker beacon receiver's indicator.
• At the OM, start your timer and start your descent to the 860 ft. MDA.
• Readjust the VOR-1 OBS to 303°. You may not descend below 860 ft before passing this intersection, even if you have the field firmly in sight.
• Hold your rate of descent between 500 fpm and 700 fpm. Passengers in unpressurized aircraft unaccustomed to flight will be uncomfortable with higher rates of descent.
• Don't chase the needle; it will be very sensitive as you near the runway. Just try to keep it from moving.
• At 75 kts., 4 min., 14 secs. will elapse to fly the 5.3 nm. to the MAP or Runway 22 threshold.
• With two-miles visibility, Runway 22's threshold or approach lights should become visible in 2 min., 38 secs.
• Caldwell's field elevation is 173 ft., so you will have a minute and a half to descend 687 ft. for touchdown. Slow the aircraft for a normal landing by reducing power and further lowering the flaps.
• Good job; have a cup of coffee. The Boss said he'd pay for it.
• Flight time: About 25 minutes.

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This flight is somewhat shorter than the first flight but a little busier during the final approach. The flight begins at Manchester airport, KMHT, in Manchester, N.H. with a destination of Beverly, Massachusetts, KBVY. The localizer approach is to Runway 16. Click on the image above to download the flight-information package, mht-bvy.zip.

The zip-file includes the IFR chart, the approach plate for LOC Rwy 16 at Beverly, and this text description of the flight.

We proceed south-east bound from Manchester to the Lawrence VOR, then intersect the localizer to Beverly's Runway 16., making a right turn to track inbound to the airport with a straight-in landing to Runway 16. A VOR intersection is the FAF for this approach.

As usual, do nothing until you have gone through the step-by-step details of the flight with this text and your charts. Only by doing this will you both understand the purpose of each step, but you will visualize them in your mind, a critical part of instrument flight.

NOTE: Fly the Instrument Approach portion with your Nav-2 Receiver for better needle visibility.

You'll use your DME to identify the FAF.

• Set the flight simulator weather conditions to 800 ft overcast, cloud tops at 10,000 ft., and two miles visibility. The wind is calm.
• Move the aircraft to Manchester's Runway 17, airport KMHT, and retract the flaps to 0°.
• Tune the Nav-1 receiver to the Lawrence VOR, 112.5 MHz., ident LWM.
• Set the VOR-1 OBS to 145°. Fly the first leg with Nav-2.
• Tune the Nav-2 receiver to Beverly's localizer, 110.5 MHz., ident I-BVY.
• Set the VOR-2 OBS to 157°, the localizer track to the runway.
• Reset the timer to zero.
• Switch your DME to Nav-1 receiver to monitor progress to LWM VOR.
• Fly Nav-1. Takeoff from Runway 17, climbing out with a modest left turn to intercept LWMs 145° radial. A TO flag should appear. Ident the VOR.
• ATC has cleared you to 3000 ft. Climb at 90 kts., then cruise at 110 kts. after reaching your assigned altitude.
• Be alert for station passage at LWM as things will get busy.
• On station passage at LWM, when the FROM flag appears, continue on your 145° heading.
• Begin your descent to 1800 ft.
• Switch your DME to Nav-2 receiver.
• Fly Nav-2. Turn right to 157° as you intercept the Runway 16 localizer.
• Slow to 75 kts. and drop one notch of flaps.

It's vital to stabilize the approach well before beginning your descent to the MDA.

• The FAF is 5.9 DME from KBVY, on Nav-2 .
• Maintain 1800 ft. until the FAF.
• At 5.9 DME, the FAF, start your timer and start your descent to the 580 ft. MDA.
• Hold your rate of descent between 500 fpm and 700 fpm.
• Don't chase the needle; it will be very sensitive as you near the runway. Just try to keep it from moving.
• At 75 kts., 4 min., 00 secs. will elapse to fly the 5.0 nm. to the MAP or Runway 16 threshold.
• With two-miles visibility, Runway 16's threshold or approach lights should become visible in 2 min., 24 secs.
• Beverly's field elevation is 107 ft., so you will have about one and a half minutes to descend 473 ft. for touchdown. Slow the aircraft for a normal landing by reducing power and further lowering the flaps.
• Safe landing, the runway will be wet.
• Flight time: About 19 minutes.

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LDA Approach vs. Localizer Approach ... Is there any difference?

Not much, actually. If you've thumbed your way through an FAA volume of instrument approach plates you'll have noticed an occasional heading such as LDA Rwy 2, and the like. Although they're not common, you may encounter a Localizer-type Directional Aid in your Flight-Simulator travels.

If you stay on course with a conventional localizer approach it will roll you down the centerline of the runway. That's why Cat II and Cat III ILS approaches are possible.

The LDA is the same as a localizer, but off-set from the runway heading. It provides course guidance down to a point from which you can proceed to the airport by visual references. Terrain features generally force the installation of an LDA approach system; it's the skyscraper, or 1000-ft. TV tower, or granite hill on the normal approach path that prevents using the conventional localizer.

This next flight culminates with an LDA approach. Think of it as one more way to keep final approaches from becoming too boring. It's very short and begins at the Chester, Connecticut, airport, 3B9, KSNC in FSX, where you earlier began a flight leading to a VOR approach. We're heading in a different direction this time, to the Hartford-Brainard airport, KHFD, in Hartford, Connecticut.

The LDA approach at Brainard is to Runway 2. Click on the image above to download the flight-information package, chstr-hfd.zip. The zip-file includes the IFR chart, the approach plate for LDA Rwy 2 at Hartford-Brainard, and this text description of the flight.

The flight could hardly be simpler. We proceed northwest, make an easy intercept of the Runway 2 localizer into Brainard. After the FAF we cannot descend below the MDA until passing the Danns intersection, even if the field is in sight. Assume that this flight is under radar control, allowing the direct route to an intercept of the localizer.

Note: You may wish to fly this LDA Approach as if there were no radar vectors available. In that case you would be required to fly the PUBLISHED LDA Rwy 2 approach. On an Instrument Approach Plate the published approach is depicted by a bold line. Thus your LDA Rwy 2 Approach would include entry into the holding pattern with a right turn at the HF LOM and then one circuit around the racetrack. This also provides the opportunity to nail down the WCA for the inbound leg. Thanks to Burt Stevens for pointing out this requirement if not under radar control.

As usual, do nothing until you have gone through the step-by-step details of the flight with this text and your charts. Only by doing this will you both understand the purpose of each step, but you will visualize them in your mind, a critical part of instrument flight.

Remember, this is an LDA approach, Localizer-type Directional Aid, and the approach path is not lined up with the runway. A right turn is necessary upon reaching the runway to land. Going straight, without the turn, will bring you down onto the taxiway and into the control tower, a rather unsatisfactory ending to a good IFR approach.

NOTE: Fly the Instrument Approach portion with your Nav-2 Receiver for better needle visibility.

• Set the flight simulator weather conditions to 900 ft overcast, cloud tops at 10,000 ft., and two miles visibility. The wind is calm.
• Move the aircraft to Chester's Runway 35, airport 3B9, KSNC in FSX, and retract the flaps to 0°.
• Tune the Nav-1 receiver to the Hartford VOR, 114.9 MHz., ident HFD.
• Set the VOR-1 OBS to 278°.
• Tune the Nav-2 receiver to Brainard's Runway 2 Localizer, 109.7 MHz., ident I-HFD.
• Set the VOR-2 OBS to 002°. The Runway 2 heading is 23°, so anticipate a 21° right turn on arrival.
• Reset the timer to zero.
• Fly Nav-2. Takeoff from Runway 35, climbing out with a modest 10° left turn to a 345° heading to insure intercepting the localizer at a comfortable distance from the FAF.
• ATC has cleared you to 3000 ft. Climb at 90 kts., then cruise at 110 kts. after reaching your assigned altitude.
• Ident both the localizer, I-HFD, and the VOR, HFD. A FROM flag should be showing on the HFD VOR.
• On intercept of the localizer, turn right to 002° to track it inbound.
• Descend to 2200 ft.
• Slow to 75 kts. and drop one notch of flaps.

It's vital to stabilize the approach well before beginning your descent to the MDA.