Localizer
Practice lateral guidance and aligning the aircraft with the runway centerline on final approach.
Instrument approach training
Online ILS simulator to practice approaches
Practice the key concepts of an ILS approach right in your browser. You can even use VNAV. Intercept the localizer and track the glideslope.
Open ILS Trainer GuideGlideslope
Watch the vertical indication and develop the awareness needed to fly a stabilized descent path. Be careful not to destabilize the approach.
Intercept
Train the sequence of intercepting the localizer before capturing the glideslope in the proper configuration.
What is ILS Trainer?
ILS Trainer works as an approach exercise: you fly the airplane and follow, on the instruments and in the 3D scene, how it approaches the runway.
A new session starts with the airplane at 110 knots and 3,000 feet, with the autopilot, lateral navigation and altitude hold engaged. You can choose whether or not to use VNAV, and you can also skip ahead to a later position that suits the current flight situation better, so you can get straight to the critical part of the approach: the ILS.
You can set power with the throttle and select heading, altitude and rate of climb or descent. HDG mode flies the airplane to the selected heading; ALT holds altitude; VS controls vertical speed. Airspeed is a result of power, because ILS Trainer is a support tool for lighter IFR training aircraft, which have no autothrottle. The forces are calculated by its own flight model.
With NAV, the airplane follows the route through the waypoints LITOS, DUMON, EMBRA and BARRO. VNAV manages the vertical profile of this route, taking into account the planned altitudes and the FMC altitude to clear the descent. It calculates the descent point and shows it as the Top of Descent (TOD). Power remains under your control.
On final approach, you engage APPR, which arms the intercept of the ILS guidance. The Localizer (LOC) provides lateral alignment with the runway. Then, once the capture conditions are met, the Glide Slope (GS) guides the descent path. Pay attention to the stabilized approach criteria, which here follow general ICAO guidelines and can be customized in Settings.
The primary flight display, the PFD, shows airspeed, altitude, heading, attitude and approach indications, the active fix, altitude constraints and other functions typical of this instrument. The 3D scene in the side window shows the airplane’s position and its surroundings in 3D, not just the top and profile views typical of real aircraft, which makes it easier to visualize and understand a descent all the way to touchdown. You can change the camera mode with the buttons and rotate the view. You can also see a lateral or vertical deviation and how the ILS beam relates to the last waypoints of the RNAV route, among other features.
ILS Trainer was designed to improve situational awareness, given the high number of CFIT accidents and the circumstances in which they occur, often caused by a lack of awareness of the overall situation that preceded them.
Frequently asked questions
Find answers to the most common questions about the ILS, the localizer, the glideslope and intercepting an instrument approach.
What is an ILS?
An ILS is an instrument landing system that provides lateral guidance through the localizer and vertical guidance through the glideslope during an approach. This provides precision, because the airplane lines up with the runway and descends to it at the correct rate.
What is the localizer (LOC)?
The localizer provides lateral guidance by means of radio signals, keeping the aircraft aligned ←→ with the extended runway centerline during the final approach. When the indication is centered, the aircraft is aligned as the localizer indicates.
What is the glideslope?
The glideslope provides vertical guidance ↑↓ to help the aircraft follow the descent path of the ILS approach. The standard is a 3-degree path, which has nothing to do with the nose attitude. It should be monitored together with altitude, airspeed, rate of descent and the other parameters.
What is the difference between the localizer and the glideslope?
The localizer is lateral guidance, used to align the aircraft with the runway. The glideslope is vertical guidance, used to follow the descent path. They use different frequency bands: the localizer operates in VHF and the glideslope in UHF. The glideslope has false paths above the correct one, at about 6° and 9°. That is why it should be intercepted from below, so you do not follow a false signal.
Why should I capture the localizer before the glideslope?
Lateral alignment ensures the aircraft is correctly positioned before following the vertical path, which makes the approach more predictable and stable. The obstacle protection of the glide path only applies when the aircraft is aligned with the runway, within the localizer area. Outside this alignment, terrain clearance is not guaranteed.
How do I know if I am above or below the glideslope?
The vertical indication, usually diamond-shaped ◆, shows the aircraft’s position relative to the descent path. If the diamond ◆ is below center, the aircraft is above the glide path. If it is above center, the aircraft is below the glide path. The pilot should always fly toward the diamond ◆. Small, timely corrections are normal, but large deviations in the final phase make the approach unstabilized and require a go-around.
What is a stabilized ILS approach?
It is an approach in which the aircraft is configured, aligned with the localizer, on the glideslope, at the correct speed and rate of descent, and within the limits defined for the training or operation. It must be stabilized by a defined minimum height, normally 1,000 feet in instrument conditions. If it is not, the rule is to go around.
Does the ILS work in low visibility?
Yes. The ILS was developed to guide the aircraft when visual references are limited. How low you can descend depends on the procedure category (CAT I, II or III), the aircraft and airport equipment, the crew’s qualifications and the applicable authorizations. On reaching decision height without seeing the runway, the pilot must go around.
Does the ILS Trainer online simulator replace flight training?
No. It is a complementary tool for study and practice. Real procedures must follow the approved charts, the aircraft limitations and flight instruction with a qualified instructor.
How can I practice ILS approaches?
Setting the frequency and the course, identifying the navaid, setting the altimeter, aligning with the localizer, and then capturing and tracking the glideslope are some of the steps. Some features will be implemented in future versions of the app.
What should I do when the indication moves off center?
Make small, early corrections. Avoid chasing the needle with large changes in course, bank angle or rate of descent, among others, especially close to the runway.