Good evening forum,
Still pretty green to all of this and trying to slowly expand as I understand more. Strictly in the 152 for now and have been flying circuits to get the hang of takeoff, landing, etc… I’ve done a few short hops as well and started to learn how to use VOR’s. So far so good.
Tonight I started to tinker with ILS landings and after watching some videos that went really well. Outside of ATC telling me to climb and maintain 2,800 while on final (not sure why that happened).
So I have VOR and ILS figured out, but I also see options for RNAV, DME and after googling and youtubing I still don’t have a firm grasp of the differences and when / why they are used.
Would anyone with some patience have time to help educate me?
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There are some excellent videos on YouTube on the procedures you are looking to learn.
Sorry - I didn’t spot your YouTube remank
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No worries at all,
I’m continuing to poke around, and I’ve found some, I was just having a hard time grasping some of what was being said so wasn’t sure if someone had a dumbed down version for newbies 
Actually,
I just found this one, only 2 minutes in and it’s already much clearer!!! He’s also talking about how to read the charts along with it which was a large piece of my knowledge gap.
This may or may not at all be what you are looking for or how you approach learning… But in case it helps there is an abundance of in depth, clear, and completely free reference and learning material here:
Aviation Handbooks & Manuals (faa.gov)
The one that especially applies to your question is Instrument Procedures Handbook (IPH) (faa.gov), and a briefer and more accessible description is in Chapters 9 and 10 of FAA-H-8083-15B, Instrument Flying Handbook
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Thank you!
I will give that a browse as well, I appreciate it.
There are more types of approaches. I have a tutorial for every kind of instrument approach. There are videos on flying basics (which is a series I am doing), systems, and much more. I am a professional pilot by day and YouTube is a hobby. thecorporatepilotdad - YouTube
Approach types are used depending on what is available at the destination airport and what the airplane is capable of. For example, there may be an RNAV approach, but a Cessna 152 doesn’t have GPS and isn’t capable of doing an RNAV approach. It comes down to what is available in the aircraft and which approach will get you the lowest (depending on weather).
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Thank you sir,
Am very familiar with your channel! (albeit I didn’t know you on here so nice to “meet” you). Your videos have helped quite a bit over the last month. For some reason I wasn’t subscribed so you weren’t in my list to check out.
Watching now
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You are welcome. I’m in the forum for sure but this is my incognito name, and a very bad incognito name since it has the initials of my channel and the matching logo doesn’t help either.
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Not good cover indeed 
I also watch your channel on YT, helpfull content for us “for ever begginers” with only theoretical flying capabilities.
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Watch all the YouTube videos you can, it’s an excellent resource. The more you watch, the more will be recommended to you. And don’t be put off if a video’s about (say) RNAV, but not an aircraft you’re interested in, as the principle’s the same.
Above all, have fun 
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Philipp Ringler (x-plane developer) has done a great video on Approaches: ILS, GPS LNAV, GPS LPV, LOC BCRS, VOR GPS overlay and VOR-DME
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My first suggestion grab yourself a modded plane with slightly better flight characteristics and a modded glass cockpit. DA62 and WT NXI is perfect for that. Makes it easier to see readouts all digital more real estate on the screens to figure out your waypoints and altitudes. And in a modded modern plane you’re not fighting plane as much when flying manually. The difference between RNAV and ILS approaches in broad strokes is this. RNAV -plane relies on itself to figure out where it is and what it needs to do ILS plane relies on ground based equipment to do the same thing. RNAV is GPS driven ILS/VOR is ground based station driven. RNAV does require proper equipment installed on the plane and devil is in the details and there are different types of RNAVs that do different types of things and there are rnavs that utilize ground based equipment etc. But again broad stroke simplistically from end user p erspective the only difference between ILS and RNAV with vertical guidance in a plane equipped for RNAV is that you don’t have to tune in the radios to ILS frequency when flying RNAV. Everything else is the same. You program RNAV approach into GPS you consult charts for proper altitudes and waypoints along the way and you make sure that you’re below the diamond as you begin your final approach and then you arm approach on autopilot and plane will get you down to minimums at whatever degree glide path vs whatever degree glide slope for ILS.
I haven’t flown in C152 for a while so correct me if I’m wrong but C152 is not equipped with GPS. It is a VOR DME plane. Meaning it will calculate distance to VOR but it does not have garmin installed in it. It is strictly radio based navigation based on ground station so it will not be capable of doing RNAV because of lack of equipment.
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Gatcomb is a good YT Channel.
The FAA handbooks have already been mentioned. Also look out for the IFR book.
A lot more involved is the Vatstar academy. Pretty much free or almost afaik and remember. They offer Sim PPLs and IFR ratings etc especially to also prepare you better for the Vatsim online network.
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I love Gatcomb’s channel!
Tons of great information, easy to follow and digest and he has a knack for keeping an audience engaged and making his narrating fun.
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Yeap VATSTAR is awesome. Essentially real life PPL ground school plus they have video series plus for a small life time fee you can get yourself one on one instruction in the sim of your choice. Also speaking of good youtube channels. X-Plane Tutorials - YouTube is really good at explaining this stuff too. Just make sure you have WT NXI G1000 mod it does all the basics that are needed and discussed.
Checkout Q8 pilot channel as well he might not be doing everything by the book but he is really good at explaining the basics to get you up and running.
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