Simviation Forum - Backcourse ILS approaches

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Backcourse ILS approaches (Read 439 times)

Apr 16^th, 2004 at 1:09am

twrofpwr Offline
Lieutenant Colonel
I love YaBB 1G - SP1!

Posts: 5

Hello everyone. I am trying to figure out what is meant by "backcourse approach". My best guess is it is flying a runway ILS beacon from the opposite end of the runway the beacon was inteneded for. Take for example London airport CYXU in Onatrio. Does backcourse mean I can use the localizer for runway 33 for runway landing on runway 15?

How does this work, the glidepath would never be correct woudln't it? The runway you might be able to line up but how do you line up the glideapath? I find even lining up with the runway itself is too sensative, it goes from middle to far left, you correct turning right maybe 3 degrees, and it goes blowing by to the right, I can never get the approach right from the opposite runway.

Any help is very appreciated, thanks very much,

Jeff

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Reply #1 - Apr 16^th, 2004 at 2:32am

gw Offline
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I love YaBB 1G - SP1!

Posts: 175

I've come across this from time to time. As I understand it you fly the approach with the localizer only. There is no glideslope so you have to refer to the published charts for the airport (if you have them). They will tell you that you have to be a certain altitudes at certain distances as you approach the runway.

If you've done anything with the instrument rating checkride it's like the VOR approach.

gw

Cessna N7654 ready to copy IFR clearance to KSMF.&&&&Cessna N7654 cleared to KSMURF as filed.&&

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Reply #2 - Apr 16^th, 2004 at 8:24am

Nexus Offline
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gw has it down correct. You can use the localizer, BUT there is one thing you must know.
When performing a BC approach, the localizer movement will be "mirrored", so if the localizer needle deviates to the right, you shouldn't follow the needle, but instead turn left

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Reply #3 - Apr 16^th, 2004 at 5:26pm

MIKE JG Offline
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Gravity Always Wins...
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Posts: 845

Another trick with localizer back courses: If you have an HSI, which is an omni-bearing selector coupled with a heading indicator all in one guage like on the Beech Barron's panel, you can simply set the OBS course of the HSI to the front side localizer course(the opposite course of the one you're flying). By doing so, you can fly the localizer back course just like a normal localizer. Confused... try it and you'll see how it works.

Also someone mentioned that the glide-slope would not be very accurate. It's not usable at all on a back course. Back course approaches simply allow a low cost additional approach to any given airport that has a normal front course ILS or localizer only approach.

A tip for flying localizer courses in general. Remember that the localizer and glide slope signals are shaped like a wedge as Nexus' picture shows. So as you get closer and closer to the runway the localizer course width gets smaller and smaller. Therefore the further you go on a localizer course or glide slope for that matter, the more sensetive it gets. So once you get in close you have to make very small corrections or you will lose the localizer course very quickly. It's a tough thing to get into the habit of doing but let's say that as you near the missed approach point on a straight in localizer approach or decision height on an ILS approach that you find yourself a full one dot off. Just try to put a very small correction in towards the needle and let it come to you. Don't worry about getting it back centered when you're close in, it's too sensetive at that point and will go blowing by if you chase after it too agressively.

-Mike G.

Military AI traffic packages and scenery for the Microsoft Flight Simulator series.

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Reply #4 - Apr 18^th, 2004 at 11:05pm

twrofpwr Offline
Lieutenant Colonel
I love YaBB 1G - SP1!

Posts: 5

Thanks a lot guys, that is great help. Basicaly I guess if you are flying with close to 0 miles visibility you would not want to fly on a runway on the backcourse, and find another airport close by with ILS to use the proper course when there is wind... I guess usually when there is wind it is pretty calm and isn't a scenerio that comes up too much, and you could fly the normal ILS approach... I am trying to crank up the difficulty adding wind and no visibility to practise IFR, this program is great.

Thanks again,

Jeff.

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