Unable to capture glideslope on ILS approach

I’ve had several flights over the past week where the ILS either refused to capture at all, or captured after several attempts and being really close to both the G/S and Localizer when you switch to APP mode. It’s done it to me on Cessna 172, DA62, A320, B747.

I’m totally guessing here - I’m no qualified pilot - but perhaps it is more realistic that you have to be pretty damned close to the G/S and Localizer in order to capture it, and Asobo simply made it more realistic? Would have been nice to have gotten a notice of that in the changelog, if that were the case.

Weird. I fly the A320 and I usually push the APP button quite early to arm them. As soon as the loc Diamon crosses over the Centerline it’ll engage the loc and likewise with the glideslope diamond. As soon as it crosses over the Centerline the GS is engaged. Never fails for me.

As long as I set flight model to modern. Landing assist turned off, and AI copilot control turned off.

Usually you arm the approach mode ~10-15NM away from the runway and 2000-3000ft.
If you arm it earlier this can cause false captures IRL.

The intercept angle should be not more than 45°, 30° is standard.
As soon as the LOC indication starts to move, you push the APR button.

Unfortunately there’s a bug since one or two updates if you arm the approach mode when you are in heading mode.
All aircraft capture the LOC, but they immediately turn to a way too shallow intercept heading.
This causes the aircraft to become fully established only very late or not at all. :frowning:

I think as long as the STAR is assigned and the aircraft is on managed NAV mode. The flight path will always bring you to intercept the ILS at the proper location. That’s why I said it never fails for me. Because my flight path always brings me to the correct place.

(Unless I’m getting the waypoint skipping bug, in that case yeah I’ll use the HDG mode. But as soon as I’m in line I switch back to NAV mode before pressing the APPR button)

Many aircraft, especially older ones, can’t lock on to the ILS when in NAV.

You have to use HDG to be able to intercept the LOC with these.

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Tried IFR flight plan with ILS approach on different routes, and have been successful at capturing the localizer 100% of the time while flying in GPS NAV mode. After arming the approach right before the final fix, it captures the glideslope about 50% of the time, which is a great improvement from flying VFR Direct (HDG mode) when I couldn’t even capture the localizer.
For the moment it seems to be irrespective of aircraft as I tried it on both TBM 930 G3000 and Bonanza G36 G1000.

Today, the WT CJ4 is not capturing the Glideslope.

Horizontal guidance is always captured.

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Trying to find out why capturing glideslope is not working. It all went pearshaped after the March 9th mandatory update. Also, my community folder is empty, what should actually be in tere?

If you are experiencing problem, it’s always a good idea to have an empty community folder.

For the WT CJ4 read the manual carefully and make a note of the procedures - I did my own mini-checklist. Have the approach plates handy, or at least the important info such as ILS frequencies. Make sure you understand how to programme the FPS, in particular how to avoid or deal with discontinuuities (they’re a pain) plus input the correct ILS frequency into NAV1 in case it doesn’t automatically do it itself. I tend to keep the LEGS page open and the MFD set to PLAN mode so I can monitor the approach. Get the speed back early whilst in the approach phase and watch for the LOC warning. You should also see the dotted localiser path on your HSI once ithe signal is received. Very important - remember you must switch to/arm Approach mode BEFORE the final fix and be at the correct height/altitude.

Once you “arm” the approach by pressing the APP button you should see LOC and GS in white on the second top line in the PFD. These will change to magenta and be on the top line when captured then the aircraft will follow the GS and localiser.

A good video to watch, by FilbertFlies, MSFS 2020 | TUTORIAL: How to fly the Working Title Cessna Citation CJ4 | Complete Lesson - YouTube could help you out - I learned a lot from it and still go back occasionally if I’m unsure about something.

Hope this helps - I had the same GS problem myself, not sure how I sorted it but I’ve discovered that giving yourself plenty of time helps enormously whilst you learn this sophisticated gear.

Please accept my apology.
Entire Post was deleted by owner.

It’s not the mod. I have been flying the WT CJ4 almost exclusively for months. I have yet not to capture an ILS GS or RNAV GP. It is absolutely MANDATORY to capture the glideslope/glidepath from below. If you are above the GS/GP when you activate APPR mode, you will NOT capture. Simple as that.

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That’s not necessarily the case and depends on the aircraft, at least IRL.
Don’t have the CJ4 installed, but e.g. the MSFS TBM can capture the GS from above.

Been there. Done that.

ATC states to climb and maintain 3,000 feet from take off.
GS not captured.

On random flights, ATC has requested that Altitude be dropped
to 2500 feet.
GS not captured.

This is KEWR.
Newark, New Jersey.
Runway 22R.

I have not made any changes to my PC or software on it.

The only changes have been:
FS2020 SU3
FS2020 WU 3
I purchased Navigraph and added Navigraph Charts to FS2020.

I think it started after SU3.

Of course it depends on the aircraft and the installed avionics. I had a flight instructor once who had me fly an ILS approach into LAX in a Cessna 177. The autopilot in that airplane didn’t do coupled approaches. It had to be hand flown. It was fun.

However, that’s not the point. I was responding to ILS approaches in the WT CJ4 that simulates the Proline 21. In that airplane, with those avionics, you need to capture from below.

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even if I can’t capture from above, what I usually do is just turn 180 degrees away from the airport to get the glideslope back up, and once it’s crossed over the centerline, I do another 180 degree turn towards the airport, then engage the APPR button again and usually that captures the G/S from below.

I have flown this approach for you in the past and I have flown it several times since. I never failed to capture the glideslope on an ILS approach. If you are relying on the MSFS ATC to get you set up correctly for the approach, that could be part of the problem. The MSFS ATC has been known to fly pilots into terrain and on the opposite end of the spectrum leave them way too high. To fly the KEWR ILS 22R approach correctly you need to be at 3000 before AGNSS, 2500 before VERDE and 1500 before TALTE as depicted in the profile view of the approach chart. That will keep you below the glideslope and in a position to capture at TALTE.

Personal comments:

You have to conform to the approach fix altitudes, which means using a reliable Approach Plate, or something that can read the NavData and display the approach both graphically and in tabular format (i.e., Navigraph + Little Nav Map). Do not rely on ATC to give you the necessary fix alt - if needed, one workaround is to subtract 100 feet from the FAF alt fix (to account for Baro variances if using Live Data), and you will capture it 8 out of 10 times. Until VNAV can be implemented (WT To-Do list) fully across the main Garmin Nav Units, most of us have to dial in and make sure we’re hitting the fix alt on time.

Thanks to all of your replies.

I am an armchair pilot.

I have flown this Flight Plan from KJFK over 100 times before
and the WT CJ4 always captured the GS unless I messed up.

I guess that I need to change my thinking that,

  • Creating a Flight Plan (via FS2020 World Map or Navigraph)
  • Installing and using Navigraph Charts
  • Following all commands from ATC
  • Listening to ATC

would let me make an IFR/ILS armchair flight.

Try different things till it works. I’ve found that my chances of success go up significantly when flying IFR-ILS approach in NAV mode. It’s still only a 50/50 shot. When I free roam, intercept the radial and line up for approach, I get nothing, not even localizer capture.
I imagine in real life, all you need is to be at the right altitude, distance, heading, frequency with approach mode armed, and should expect to capture both localizer and glideslope, regardless of how you intercept the radial. MS needs to fix this.

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