CONCEPT
Instrument Landing System
Instrument Landing System
- An Instrument Landing System (ILS) is a precision radio navigation system that provides short-range guidance to aircraft on final approach to a runway.
- Uses a combination of radio signals (the localizer for horizontal alignment and the glide slope for vertical descent path) displayed as intersecting needles or a crosshair on cockpit indicators.
- Accompanied by runway lighting including sequenced strobe lights ("the rabbit") leading pilots to the runway threshold.
- Randal flew a textbook ILS approach breaking out of a 1,500-foot overcast night sky directly into Hillsboro Airport.
- See Flying My Family IFR to Tacoma Narrows and the Full-Moon Night ILS.
These facts are as Randal recalls them, but much time has passed for most of this. If you find a factual error, please email realmerlyn@gmail.com.