Setting up ILS for a new airport

[BiggieBalls8533]

Hello!

I’m trying to create a new airport using the SDK and some tutorials and currently I’m trying to get the ILS working for my runway. Unfortunately I can’t find any details on this in the SDK and hardly any info from watching videos. Has anyone got experience with this?

I’ve been able to set up the ILS frequencies with the identifiers and this seems to work, to some extend… Even though I’ve set the headings up correctly in the editor, the A320 seems to automatically pick up the wrong, opposite ILS. So if I’m going in for runway 21, it picks the ILS for runway 03. And visa versa.

Also, even though I did set up a glideslope, it doesn’t pick up these. Perhaps because the glideslopes are actually pointing in the right directions but the ILS beam itself isn’t? Thus I basically never get in reach of the correct glideslope?

Help would be very welcome Cheers!

[BiggieBalls8533]

So here you can see, I’m coming in for runway 21 (ILS ident is EHO, course 214), I’m flying heading 210 degrees, yet the ILS automatically picks runway 03 (ILS ident EHZ, course 34).

Also, even though I’m only 16.7 miles out, no glideslope is showing up.

[BiggieBalls8533]

And this is how it’s been set up. Primary is R21 and Secondary is R03. I’ve dragged Primary ILS and glideslope to the start of R21 and that of the secondary to the start of R03.

[OffbeatTerror22]

The first thing that I would try is to give each ILS a different frequency so that you can differientiate between the ends.

Secondly turn off backcourse which should stop you getting a signal when approaching from the wrong end.

Compare the entries in the XML file with the ILS entries in the ‘sample nav’ XML.

Hope that you manage to sort it out.

[tamalien]

I wrote this for someone else a little while ago. It works for any airports I edit. I hope you find it helpful:

How to get an ILS correctly ‘set-up’ in MSFS.

Don’t forget to remove ILS from airport exclusion list first.

This technique only works for straight in ILS approaches. Offset ILSs won’t work.

The best place to ‘build’ the ils is spawned in on the runway threshold that the ILS is to be built for.

1. Initial data

The ‘Friendly name’ should be ILS xx (where xx is the runway concerned)
The frequency should be as published (if an existing ILS)
The ident should be as published (if an existing ILS) NB I-EGT should be entered as IEGT (i.e. no dashes)
Tick enable range and accept defaul value of approx 50000
Tick enable beam width and leave it at 5 degrees
Don’t tick BackCourse

The two other important fields are “Heading” and “Magvar”. These can be calculated from within the sim and do not need external data.
The heading should be the heading display on your cockpit instrumentation as you look down the runway. Ignore any temptation to enter data from other sources! It doesn’t matter if it is slightly out.
To calculate the MagVar, look at the difference between the “heading” used for the ILS and the Heading given under Configuration at the top of the Runway’s properties page, where you are entering the ILS data. Enter that difference (As a positive number) in the MagVar field.

2. Setting position of components.
   Localizer position- Tick ‘edit position’ under ILS Friendly Name. It should spawn a moveable point around about the middle of the runway. Drag it to around ground level at the far end of the runway you are building the ILS for. Eg for an ILS on runway 26, the loacalizer needs to be placed at the 08 runways end, around 100 m or so beyond the threshold but still on the extended runway centre line.
   Untick edit position.

If ILS is to have DME, tick DME box. Tick position. Again a point should spawn around about middle of runway. This should be dragged to approximate location of where PAPIs should go on the runway, i.e. close to the threshold of the runway that the ILS is being built for.
A value of 30000 works for range

Tick ‘Has glide slope’
Position the glideslope at the same location as the DME, near where the PAPIs would go. Range for that can also be 30000
The pitch should be as published for the ILS. Most are 3°, but some are different.

For secondary ILS, that is for the ILS on the other end of the runway. Placements of components should be more or less a mirror image of the primary ILS. Range figures can be the same for both primary and secondary. It is just a matter of repeating the process for the Primary ILS.
A quick way to find Heading is to either add or subtract 180° from the primary ILS heading (as long as the value is between 0 and 360. MagVar is the same value.
NB The ident for the secondary ILS needs to be different from the ident for the primary ILS. It should be published.

Voila, you should have a functioning straight in ILS after it is compiled!

Edit: Update- It seems that since SU4 it is now possible to set up offset ILSs using the method above that do get recognised by in sim instrumentation and that will be followed/used by the autopilot

[Exemplar87]

This is the best way for me also, I saw other video’s a while back where they were doing it just within the xml files and I could never get the ILS to align with the centreline no matter where I told it to be positioned that way.

[BiggieBalls8533]

You’re a legend! The ILS works absolutely perfectly now for both runways even though they’re both on the same frequency.

I think it messed up for me because I had the ILS, GS and DME locations all at the starts of the runways and because I had back course turned on.

Thank you very much!

[tamalien]

One further thing to add. I have noticed that the method I described above also allows for the autotuning of ILS by aircraft FMC when the appropriate ils is selected as part of the approach procedure (assuming the airport that is edited hasn’t had the sim approch data disabled as part of the airport edit.) This holds true even for ‘starred’ airports, if that option is ticked.

One caveat…I can’t guarantee this approach will work in the future if Asobo change the way ILSs function in the sim and allow for offset ILSs. Time will tell!

[BiggieBalls8533]

I do have one more question though and before I go tweaking on my own and perhaps break stuff again, do you maybe know how to make the aircraft intercept the ILS centerline sooner?

Here you can see I’m already 5nm out but it’s still not centered. Happens at around 3nm out. Even though I was flying base leg about 11nm out when I also activated the approach hold.

Or is this an A320 thing? It doesn’t seem to happen at most default airports though.

[tamalien]

I see you are using the FBW A320NX (like I do!)

Iirc unless there is a preprogrammed approach that the autopilot is following it is best not to select the ‘approach’ button until you see the ils needle start to move towards the center.

I did notice in your original post that you are creating a ‘new’ airport which probably means there is no available approach data in the sim. I think that selecting the ‘approach’ button on the autopilot prompts the AP to fly towards the initial fix for the ils…which your airport won’t have. Hence delaying “activating the approach” until the ils is properly captured may help.

[BiggieBalls8533]

Ah right, I see. Yup, you’re right, building a “new” airport, Eindhoven Airport, which for some reason isn’t in there by default. Maybe because it’s partially also a military airport…? Also a commercial airport though. Anyway, I thought it would be a fun project to build it myself and add it.

Yeah, approaches I think I’ll put in there as one of the last things, together with com frequencies. First aprons and taxiways and objects. Dress the airport up a bit.

I do really wonder if the “live traffic” function will automatically work with this airport since it is actually a real airport with scheduled commercial flights. Curious to see how that’ll unfold.

Thanks for the explanation! Have a great day!

[captsno9274]

Hi, I’m new to this… I tried changing the frequency but the frequency cause the child error on the runway. Using the latest SDK.

[ArrivingBadge94]

Ok guys. I spend hours and hours trying to get the ILS to work on a previously closed airport (LGAT)
I build the airport from scratch everything was working fine except the ILS. I was approaching the airport for a landing and I was loosing the ILS ( both localizer and glideslope) Finely I got it working.
My problem was, while I was moving the ILS on the runway, ( according to the instructions from this post) I was changing the altitude of the ILS.
When I change the altitude to the altitude of the runway my ILS was working fine.
One more note.
I placed the ILS (localizer) 400 Feet BEYOND the end of the runway. Now I can see the frequencies of the runways by pressing the ILS spot in the world map of the FS

[ScionTag6438735]

Hello I am modeling an Air Base that has been closed for 12 years. I found an old map giving the following information: Approach 118.95 Mhz, Tower 118.95 Mhz, ILS CLR 111.1

When I fill in the frequencies in “Properties” of the airport everything is fine, the project is saved and compiles without problems.

When I want to put the information in the ILS tab of Runway / Properties, the Dewmode puts the airport in red and shows me error in red and I can’t do anything !

Is there a solution to put this ILS ?

Thanks for your help

[FlyAwayIn2023]

Thank you tamalien,

I very carefully set up one runway exactly as you specified. I’m sorry to say the Vision Jet did not see an Ils, there was no cdi needle so it was not seeing. I also set up for a straight in approach via RNAV and it brought me down right on the touchdown point. I must be doing something wrong if it’s working for everyone else. I’d be happy with just RNAV but my grandson love’s flying the FBW A320 and it does not do RNAV approaches quite yet. I’ll attach my XML and it you can see where I’ve stumbled please let me know.

George

Well sorry but FS won’t let me attach an xls.

The photos show approach via RNAV. I switched over to LOC on final and no reception.

[UNC1RLM]

Does anyone know how to set up an ILS offset like flying the Checkerboard for KaiTak. (VHHX)… For AI’s to use…I know Jim Vile did a-lot for VHHX in FS9 and FSX and he has sense passed away. He has some downloads on AVSIM. he was a true Expert but have has anyone had any experience with offset etc that could write something for VHHX default (Microsoft scenery). Could even be shared on Flightsim.to. just a crazy thought.

thanks,
BobM.

[JCZabaleta]

Hello, I’m Brazilian and I don’t speak English very well. I hope you can understand my words… I have a similar problem, have you solved it? If so, how do I solve it? Thank you very much!

[TheSevenflyer]

You may want to post this in the separate SDK forum:
https://devsupport.flightsimulator.com/