Help with ILS Landing?

[xXSparkHorizonXx]

Hey.

 

So... It seems whenever I try to execute a landing using the ILS it only works for me half the time. I am unsure what I am doing wrong. I'll type here exactly what I did the last time I tried to utilize ILS and failed, in hopes that someone can help me...

 

So I just finish cleaning up the hostiles on the "Defend Camp Yankee" mission and JTAC dismisses me. I disarm the Master Arm and Gun Arm, turn off the Mavericks I have leftover and then turn off the TGP. I then use the CDU to divert to the airfield (forget which one), tune to their frequency, tune to their TACAN (since it worked for me last time I tried I decide to use it again), turn the TACAN on, tune to their ILS and switch that on too. Then I radio in and call inbound. I set the desired approach to 260 on the HSI for Runway 26. On the way I press the TACAN button on the front dash. I can see the yellow indicators on the ADI stating the path I should follow. About 10nm out from the airfield I press the ILS button on the front dash, this causes the yellow indicators on the ADI to disappear and the ILS thingy on the left has the red flag meaning it's not receiving a signal I think. I approach the airfield visually, checking to see if it receives the signal, but it never does. This causes me to have to land visually, and since I'm terrible at that, of course I go tumbling off the right side of the runway.

 

I checked to see if I had the correct ILS frequency which I did, and I checked to see if I had the correct TACAN frequency, which I also did (however I'm not sure about this since I haven't got a clue when I'm supposed to use X or Y, since the Field Info page on the CDU only states numbers).

 

Another bit of information is that I'm pretty sure I only heard the TACAN morse code beeping and no ILS beeping. I'm not positive about this though, and I triple checked that the ILS and the TACAN were both switched on and set to the correct frequencies on my way to the airfield.

 

As I stated before, I have successfully executed an ILS landing before and I have no idea what I did differently those times.

 

If anyone knows what I'm doing wrong I'd love to hear it. Sorry if I'm posting in the wrong place, I'm new to the forum. I know I could study the flight manual, but I figured asking here wouldn't hurt.

 

Cheers.

[Fish]

Welcome, spark, to the forums.

 

If you don't hear the ILS tone, then you are either not tuned correctly, or the ILS panel power switch is in the wrong position. it can be hard to distinguish between the ILS and TCN when they are bot on, so i suggest you get the ILS one going, and beeping first, then silence it with the ILS button on the LHS radio panel. Then get the TCN one working. Make sure that the ILS needles are not 'CAGED', its a small toggle switch on the NAV panel behind the stick.

 

Hmm,

You are better learning visual landing techniques, before ILS IMHO, but that's your choice. Also note that the broken ILS (no director), has been discussed on these threads at length, and i suggest you look them up before putting too much effort into ILS in DCSA10,

[xXSparkHorizonXx]

I had a read of the other thread concerning the yellow indicators on the ADI and I can understand why it's probably a good idea to properly learn visual landing, but while I'm at it, might as well figure this out.

 

I'm pretty positive the problem I'm having is that the ILS Needles are caged, since I can see a red flag at the top and to the left of the ADI. I think this is why ILS landing sometimes works for me and sometimes doesn't, the needles are occasionally uncaged by default. However, I can't seem to find the switch you mention anywhere on the NAV panel. Sorry if I'm being stupid, I had a look behind the stick in active pause mode and I couldn't see any switch relative to uncaging the ILS needles.

 

Also, when I tune to the ILS frequency and turn the power on, I still hear no beeping. I am positive I have the correct frequency, that the ILS is turned on to PWR and that the volume is max. Does this have anything to do with the ILS Needles being caged?

 

Cheers

[Fish]

I'm pretty positive the problem I'm having is that the ILS Needles are caged,However, I can't seem to find the switch you mention anywhere on the NAV panel.

Its between the EGI and the HARS switchs on the nav panel. (horizontal toggle switch).

 

Also, when I tune to the ILS frequency and turn the power on, I still hear no beeping.....

Cheers

 

U sure that your close enough to the base to receive the signal ? ILS does not have much range.

 

Have a look at the trk below.

ILSCheck.trk

Edited April 15, 2012 by Fish

[Depth]

I'm pretty positive the problem I'm having is that the ILS Needles are caged, since I can see a red flag at the top and to the left of the ADI. I think this is why ILS landing sometimes works for me and sometimes doesn't, the needles are occasionally uncaged by default. However, I can't seem to find the switch you mention anywhere on the NAV panel. Sorry if I'm being stupid, I had a look behind the stick in active pause mode and I couldn't see any switch relative to uncaging the ILS needles.

 

Here you go :)

 

[xXSparkHorizonXx]

I just found out I knew about that switch the entire time, I thought it was to stow the yellow indicator bars on the ADI, not just for the ILS?

 

I'm really stumped now, I have no idea what's going on. I've checked that I'm close enough to receive the signal, and I've been pretty much directly above the airfield and still nothing. Whenever I switch the ILS mode button on on the NAV panel, the ADI and the ILS bar on the left of the ADI just have red flags. I'm also unsure of what those little knobs do on the left panel which state ILS and TACAN and INTERCOM etc. Volume?

 

I watched the track you posted and I'm pretty sure I did everything correct. I had another go on a different mission (1st Campaign - Mission 2) and successfully did an ILS landing, except that the yellow steering indicator bars didn't appear on the ADI. The ILS glidescope and speed indicator all worked fine.

 

I posted a track on what I did, on the Free Flight Air Start mission, so if you have time could you take a look and tell me what I'm doing wrong?

 

I appreciate you taking the time and being patient enough to help me out, cheers.

ILSNotWorking.trk

[wojasos]

The switch should be on the LEFT position. Also, are sure you come in from the right direction? Make sure you tune the right ILS channel for current runway. Some airfield have multiple ILS channels for either runway, other have only one channel for one runway.

[WildBillKelsoe]

On it. Standby.. :pilotfly:

 

EDIT:

 

Here are a few remarks to you:

 

1- Get track IR, MAN!!!! 180 bucks is a lifetime investment not only for DCS A-10c /BS2.0 but for other sims.

2- Use easy comms for now, OK? I can't raise Kutaisi under manual radio settings.

3- Prior to mission flying, check your desired airfield(s) data;

i) ILS Frequency

ii) ILS Heading per JaBoG's charts (VAD and ground charts) located here

iii) Tower frequency on easy comms (for now..)

iv) check wind blowing direction on the HUD TVV and compensate accordingly.

v) Set heading knob on the HSI panel per the airfield direction of landing. In my own flight, I consulted JaBoG's chart and selected bearing 248 deg true for a South by Southeast approach. Actually, its the tower mission to direct me to the correct landing direction, if I could raise him..

vi) Note how I disregarded ILS malfunction when I landed the second time? Because I had the info I needed (ILS Bearing for runway at incoming direction, and visually confirmed versus my own heading caret).

 

 

Basically, I did a semi-ILS landing without the ILS actually on, but I'm sure you know ILS is part slope and part direction. I took the direction part by setting my steerpoint and the runway heading and aligning both. I don't know if the airfield is bugged or the BLUE/RED center is not set or the folk inside are high to pick up, but you get my drift I hope.

Edited April 16, 2012 by WildBillKelsoe

[xXSparkHorizonXx]

I'm still very confused about this....

 

On those two tracks you attached it doesn't seem like the actual ILS is used at all. I could see on the first track that you had the same problem as me, I think. That the ILS PWR switch doesn't actually turn on and start beeping? I'm beggining to think that the ILS is bugged for that mission or something?

 

I tried a different mission, this time a runway start, and the ILS worked as planned. I landed decently using the system. Now that I recall, it seems every air-start mission I have gone and tried to land using ILS before, it hasn't worked, with the exception of the training mission. This would lead me to believe that the ILS is either bugged when you air start, or there is something I am missing when you air-start?

 

Also, why use easy communications, is there any clear advantages other than it's quicker? I'm not sure why you couldn't reach Kutaisi, were you using the correct HOTAS Mic switch? Forward I think it is for ATC. I've been using easy comms until I recently switched it off and I haven't had any problems with it so far.

 

Also, yeah, I really need a Track IR, lol. It gets annoying having to use my 8-way selector on my Attack 3 to move the camera about when I could be using it for other, better things like slewing or the HOTAS Coolie Hat, and I can never see behind the damned throttle or stick.

 

Anyway, I attached the track file in which I successfully use the ILS to land. Everything works, including the yellow indicators on the ADI, which I'm pretty sure weren't working for me before on runway or ramp start missions because I forgot to uncage them. But they still don't work on air-start missions, like the ILS.

 

Again, I greatly appreciate the help, and things are finally starting to clear up.

ILS_Landing_Success.trk

[WildBillKelsoe]

glad to have helped. Good landing there btw. :thumbup:

[Fish]

...... I'm beggining to think that the ILS is bugged for that mission or something?

 

I agree, ILS for Kutaisi don't work on that mission/trk. I changed the frequency to Kolkhi, and worked fine. Also created a mission on approach to Kutaisi, and 109.75 tuned into ILS fine.

 

If you don't get the tone, u don't have the ils.

brokenIls.trk

[XenoCrash]

I've also been having issues with ILS landings, so thanks for all the great info everyone. On the other hand, I've gotten pretty good at landing visually ;).