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Localizer & Glide Path

An ILS provides lateral and vertical guidance to aircraft on approach to a runway. It consists of independent localizer and glide slope systems. The localizer transmits two signals that indicate left or right of the runway centerline based on the difference in their modulation depths. The glide slope defines a 3 degree angle and its signals indicate above or below glidepath. Marker beacons and DME provide distance and height references to the runway.

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Mohit Boliwal
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312 views

Localizer & Glide Path

An ILS provides lateral and vertical guidance to aircraft on approach to a runway. It consists of independent localizer and glide slope systems. The localizer transmits two signals that indicate left or right of the runway centerline based on the difference in their modulation depths. The glide slope defines a 3 degree angle and its signals indicate above or below glidepath. Marker beacons and DME provide distance and height references to the runway.

Uploaded by

Mohit Boliwal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Principle of operation

An ILS consists of two independent sub-systems, one providing lateral guidance (localizer), the
other vertical guidance (glide slope or glide path) to aircraft approaching a runway. Aircraft
guidance is provided by the ILS receivers in the aircraft by performing a modulation depth
comparison.

The emission patterns of the localizer and glideslope signals. Note that the glide slope beams are
partly formed by the reflection of the glideslope aerial in the ground plane.
A localizer (LOC, or LLZ until ICAO designated LOC as the official acronym)[1] antenna array is
normally located beyond the departure end of the runway and generally consists of several pairs
of directional antennas. Two signals are transmitted on one out of 40 ILS channels in the carrier
frequency range between 108.10 MHz and 111.95 MHz (with the 100 kHz first decimal digit
always odd, so 108.10, 108.15, 108.30, and so on are LOC frequencies but 108.20, 108.25,
108.40, and so on are not). One is modulated at 90 Hz, the other at 150 Hz and these are
transmitted from separate but co-located antennas. Each antenna transmits a narrow beam, one
slightly to the left of the runway centerline, the other slightly to the right.
The localizer receiver on the aircraft measures the difference in the depth of modulation (DDM)
of the 90 Hz and 150 Hz signals. For the localizer, the depth of modulation for each of the
modulating frequencies is 20 percent. The difference between the two signals varies depending
on the position of the approaching aircraft from the centerline.
If there is a predominance of either 90 Hz or 150 Hz modulation, the aircraft is off the centerline.
In the cockpit, the needle on the horizontal situation indicator (HSI, the instrument part of the
ILS), or course deviation indicator (CDI), will show that the aircraft needs to fly left or right to

correct the error to fly down the center of the runway. If the DDM is zero, the aircraft is on the
centerline of the localizer coinciding with the physical runway centerline.
A glide slope (GS) or glide path (GP) antenna array is sited to one side of the runway touchdown
zone. The GP signal is transmitted on a carrier frequency between 328.6 and 335.4 MHz using a
technique similar to that of the localizer. The centerline of the glide slope signal is arranged to
define a glide slope of approximately 3 above horizontal (ground level). The beam is 1.4 deep;
0.7 below the glideslope centerline and 0.7 above the glideslope centerline.
These signals are displayed on an indicator in the instrument panel. This instrument is generally
called the omni-bearing indicator or nav indicator. The pilot controls the aircraft so that the
indications on the instrument (i.e., the course deviation indicator) remain centered on the display.
This ensures the aircraft is following the ILS centreline (i.e., it provides lateral guidance).
Vertical guidance, shown on the instrument by the glideslope indicator, aids the pilot in reaching
the runway at the proper touchdown point. Many aircraft possess the ability to route signals into
the autopilot, allowing the approach to be flown automatically by the autopilot.

Identification

Localizer array and approach lighting at Whiteman Air Force Base, Knob Noster, Missouri.

Glide path landing at Melbourne Airport, Australia.


In addition to the previously mentioned navigational signals, the localizer provides for ILS
facility identification by periodically transmitting a 1,020 Hz Morse code identification signal.
For example, the ILS for runway 4R at John F. Kennedy International Airport transmits IJFK to
identify itself, while runway 4L is known as IHIQ. This lets users know the facility is operating
normally and that they are tuned to the correct ILS. The glide slope transmits no identification
signal, so ILS equipment relies on the localizer for identification.

Localizer backcourse
Modern localizer antennas are highly directional. However, usage of older, less directional
antennas allows a runway to have a non-precision approach called a localizer backcourse. This
lets aircraft land using the signal transmitted from the back of the localizer array. A pilot may
have to fly opposite the needle indication, due to reverse sensing. This would occur when using a
basic VOR indicator. If using an HSI, one can avoid reverse sensing by setting the front course
on the course selector. Highly directional antennas do not provide a sufficient signal to support a
backcourse. In the United States, backcourse approaches are commonly associated with Category
I systems at smaller airports that do not have an ILS on both ends of the primary runway. Pilots
may notice that they receive false glide slope signals from the front course ILS equipment. All
glide slope information should be disregarded.

Marker beacons
Main article: marker beacon
On some installations, marker beacons operating at a carrier frequency of 75 MHz are provided.
When the transmission from a marker beacon is received it activates an indicator on the pilot's
instrument panel and the tone of the beacon is audible to the pilot. The distance from the runway
at which this indication should be received is published in the documentation for that approach,
together with the height at which the aircraft should be if correctly established on the ILS. This
provides a check on the correct function of the glideslope. In modern ILS installations, a DME is
installed, co-located with the ILS, to augment or replace marker beacons. A DME continuously
displays the aircraft's distance to the runway.

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