LOC and BCRS aren't for VOR's.LOC will track a localizer while BCRS will track the backcourse of a localizer.As Tero said, there is no VOR tracking capability that is completely automatic. You either have to use HDG SEL as Tero suggested (you have to compensate for winds) or you can use the FMC. How do you track FROM a navaid?
Full Answer
· The GPS can use the local variation at the position the aircraft is at. The VOR uses a dated variation in that the variation is established when the VOR was installed or when it was last updated. Updating the VOR variation as the magnetic variation changes over time is a complex operation and requires adjusting the VOR orientation to magnetic north and changing …
· I've noticed when flying a localizer or ILS approach in the default CRJ-700, the localizer deviation on the PFD as depicted by the HSI is different than as indicated by the pink …
· The localizer transmits a "front course" and a "back course" from the antenna system. The "front course" is the LOC navigation used to fly a standard ILS or LOC approach. …
Intercepting arid tracking outbound. Fig. 6-1 From VOR Tracking and VOR Approaches position of that radial; in this example, the needle will point to the left. Now, as in (2), turn toward the …
Unlike VORs, which facilitate navigation on any bearing around them (from 0º to 359º), localizers only support a single, specific direction. Unlike in VOR navigation, turning the OBS knob when a localizer is in-use does not affect the CDI displacement.
You track the localizer by following the needle shown in Figure 2-3 (position A). If the needle is to the right, you go to the right; if it is to the left, you go to the left. A needle that remains centered means your airplane is tracking the runway centerline.
Localizer is displayed where VOR is displayed but it is 4x more sensitive. The glideslope signal provides vertical guidance. There are no controls for the pilot to tune the glideslope, it is automatically tuned when he tunes the localizer. The glideslope operates on the UHF band from 329.15 MHz to 335 MHz.
VOR stands for very high frequency (VHF) omnidirectional range. These ground-based navigational aids (navaids) transmit in all directions on a VHF frequency band of 108.0 to 117.95 MHz. Courses from the station are called radials and are numbered 001 through 360, correlating with degrees from magnetic north.
ILS works by using two radio signals, sent from transmitters at the airport and received and interpreted onboard the aircraft. One of these, known as the localizer, will guide the aircraft laterally; the other, known as the glideslope, vertically.
When ATC tells you to intercept the localizer, the pilot is to turn to follow the localizer when they reach it (which will be shown on their course deviation indicator).
The localizer course is very narrow, normally 5°. This results in high needle sensitivity. With this course width, a full-scale deflection shows when the aircraft is 2.5° to either side of the centerline. This sensitivity permits accurate orientation to the landing runway.
30-degree angleLocalizer intercept angle - This should be no more than a 20- or 30-degree angle. Pilots should question ATC about intercept angles greater than this, because they would involve steeper turns - something you want to avoid when beginning an ILS.
In Figure 3A, the VOR has a six degree sensitivity error. In other words, if you? re flying with a two dot (4 degree) needle deflection, you may actually be 10 degrees off course.
High-altitude VORs can be used up to 60,000 feet and 130 nautical miles wide. Low-altitude VORs service aircraft up to 18,000 feet and up to 40 nautical miles wide. Terminal VORs go up to 12,000 feet and 25 nautical miles.
A VOR Approach is a non-precision approach providing lateral guidance only. The Final Approach Course (as published on the relevant approach chart) utilizes a radial from the VOR to provide this lateral guidance.
Very High Frequency Omni-Directional RangeThe Very High Frequency Omni-Directional Range (VOR) is a ground-based electronic system that provides azimuth information for high and low altitude routes and airport approaches.
In this instance the bearing of the destination airport off of your departing airport is also 090. This is also the direction you want to track the airplane ...
Heading is the direction the airplane is pointed, whereas track is the actual direction of the airplane tracking across the ground. Bearing is the angle between any two points, whereas course is your intended path of travel to your destination. In the rest of this post we’ll elaborate on each of these points and then also provide ...
If you are going directly from one airport to the other, your course and bearing will be the same along the route of flight. If you are flying from an airport to a VOR to another airport, your course will change in each leg, as will your bearing.
Heading and track are really the two main categories of direction of flight, but they are further broken down into bearing and course which we will cover next.
However, both methods of navigation should produce the same desired ground track when using approved, IFR navigation system. Should significant differences between the approach chart and the GPS avionics’ application of the navigation database arise, the published approach chart, supplemented by NOTAMs, holds precedence.
Your (compass) heading may or may not be 090, depending on both the wind correction angle (which you can solve for using an analog or digital e6-b calculator), magnetic variation of your location, and any deviation of the compass itself onboard your aircraft. Remember the following calculation to solve for your compass heading in order to fly your desired track or course (both 090).
When you fly a localizer back course approach (LOC BC), you're navigating to the runway using horizontal guidance off of a localizer system, but in the opposite direction that you'd normally use the localizer. Navigation is very similar to a localizer-only approach, but with a few key differences.
The localizer transmits a "front course" and a "back course" from the antenna system. The "front course" is the LOC navigation used to fly a standard ILS or LOC approach. When flying standard approaches, the localizer is situated at the departure end of the runway you're landing on.
The FAA offers a warning about flying back course approaches: "False glide slope signals may exist in the area of the localizer back course approach which can cause the glide slope flag alarm to disappear and present unreliable glide slope information. Disregard all glide slope signal indications when making a localizer back course approach unless a glide slope is specified on the approach and landing chart."
For example, if you were flying the LOC BC to runway 17R in Grand Forks, instead of dialing the back course of 174 degrees, you'd dial the front course of 354 degrees, and fly to the needle to navigate the approach.
Just like a standard LOC approach, the localizer back course signal is only guaranteed to be accurate up to 10 degrees on either side of the runway to 18NM. At an angle of 35 degrees on either side of runway centerline, the useful volume is limited to 10NM. You might receive localizer signals outside of the service volume, but you can't rely on them for navigation.
When you fly an autopilot-coupled LOC BC approach, ALWAYS push the "back course button" if there's one installed for your autopilot system. By pushing this button, you're telling the autopilot to turn inbound on the back course instead of outbound. Here's the scenario...
Two signals are transmitted laterally from a localizer (LOC), one that's 90 Hz and one that's 150 Hz. The LOC receiver interprets the overlap of the two frequencies to determine which side of the localizer course the airplane is flying on, or if it's flying perfectly down the middle of the course.
So I'm practicing for I6, the full ILS RWY 19R approach from LAX to SNA.
When your flying the back course for a localizer, the CDI will have reverse sensing. Some airports use the Back course as another non-precision approach.
Yes, on the back course (whether tracking outbound on a LOC or inbound on a LOC BACK CRS), you are the needle. HSI's of course make this much easier, you just dial in the front course, and it works the same in both directions.
A common way to remember it is to fly towards the needle on the front course, and away from the needle on the back course (or outbound on the front course in this case).
Thanks guys! Does the 'BC' button on the autopilot tell the AP to reverse it's normal sensing of the localizer? -M.
How come there is a LOC and BCRS selection on the autopilot if these are unavailable then?I have wondered this myself as these key selections don't seem to function, but I seem to remember (I may be wrong its a long time ago) that they did in FS2000.Also, whilst talking about FS2000 and PIC, didn't it used to have a tire temperature gauge in the status page?.
Hi Mark thanks for that.I don't mean to sound thick and if I do I apologise.But does the LOC function work, as I thought what you did with these was to input your radial on the radial window next to the tuned VOR frequency and select localiser and it would track that course. But it doesn't seem to work?
Hi Mark,On the new Airbuses (A320, 330, 340), on the autopilot, you can choose whether you want to follow a specific heading (heading/ vertical speed mode), or a specific track (track/flight path angle mode). There is a switch that allows to toggle between both modes.