Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

ILS marker component preferences

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • ILS marker component preferences

    I just finished my instrument work in my flight training, and part of that training was looking at several different approaches, including ILS approaches. On some of them there's the standard LOM and LMM beacons, when you fly over the beacons you get an audible tone in the cockpit and when you hear that tone you know where you are on the approach and where you should be at the point which you cross the beacons. On some approaches, however, they have eliminated marker beacons entirely and instead use DME co-located with the Localizer(?) and fixes (IAF, FAF, MAP if LOC only) based on that DME. The question I have is for the more seasoned veterans who have experiences with both kinds of approaches: Which do you prefer (Beacons or DME) and why? Personally I prefer the audible tone the beacons give you because removes the necessity to include dme in a visual scan when shooting an approach.



  • #2
    I just got my Instrument too and I like the audible tones. Reminds me on the ILS that HEY GOTTA HIT THE TIME in case the glideslope goes out and you need to go LOC only and you don't have the DME set up for whatever reason or you simply don't have DME. Thats probably half the reason why I always forget the time on the VOR approaches...I'm used to the beacons or the GPS approach.

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Crism
      I just got my Instrument too and I like the audible tones. Reminds me on the ILS that HEY GOTTA HIT THE TIME in case the glideslope goes out and you need to go LOC only and you don't have the DME set up for whatever reason or you simply don't have DME. Thats probably half the reason why I always forget the time on the VOR approaches...I'm used to the beacons or the GPS approach.
      Probably a good reason to do the approaches without the marker beacons on audible eh?
      Try to catch me flyin dirty...

      Comment


      • #4
        I find Marker Beacons aren't particulally accurate... you could descend a couple of hundred feet from the time it comes on to the time it goes off.

        If you are doing an integrity check, 200ft error and you're hitting the ground instead of minimas. DME is very accurate.

        Now adays, almost all approaches have DME height checks marked... even those with beacons. I've found that if all the approaches are of the one type, then you can get used to using it. If you're chopping and changing methods, it becomes easier to forget.

        As to incorporating the DME in the scan... its quite important to get it into your scan now, for when you are doing VORDME, NDBDME, LOCDME approaches. Shouldn't be that much harder to add in for the ILS... remember you should be doing gross error checks the whole way down the ILS vs the DME anyway.

        The Beacons have the advantage of reminding you to do the height check if you forget (as they're making a lot of noise to remind you!), however these days pretty much all new ILS installations are going for the DME option. Some places you just can't put a beacon!

        To sum it up: DME is the way future installations are going, and many Markers are being decommissioned when they are needing replacement. Incorporate DME in your scan as you should have it in there anyway.

        I'm more than happy with doing DME checks, however a beacon going off to remind you to do it is never a bad thing

        Comment


        • #5
          A LOM / LMM is a beacon with a low power NDB co-located with it. Not all marker beacons have the NDB portion with it, and you'll find few appoaches with a LOM and LMM.

          I prefer DME on an approach. When you pass over a marker beacon, now I've got to look at the plate again to see the distance from the runway end. With DME, it's staring me in the face.
          Bite me Airways.....

          Comment


          • #6
            Coooo. Innit' complicated ?

            I think I'll stick to driving ambulances !!

            .....but I wish to God I'd carried on my flight training all those years ago when I could afford it ( i.e. pre marriage ! )

            Happy New Year to all you pilots out there....keep the shiny side up !
            If it 'ain't broken........ Don't try to mend it !

            Comment


            • #7
              Another vote for DME. Not to mention many marker beacons are on thier way out anyway, it's a dying technology.

              If you look through the NOTAMS, you'll see that lots of them are being decomissioned.
              Anybody can fly a round airplane....

              Comment

              Working...
              X