How do I find ILS data and charts in a flight simulator?
In most flight simulators, you find an airport's ILS frequency and front course in the airport information, world map, GPS/FMS or approach selection screen; full approach chart data usually comes from the sim's built-in charts or your chart provider. Always cross-check the runway, procedure name and navdata cycle before flying it.
Where do I actually find the ILS frequency and course?
You usually find the raw ILS data in four places: the airport information page, the world map or flight planner, the aircraft's GPS/FMS approach page, or ATC once an approach is assigned.
| Source | Usually gives you | Best used for | Common trap |
|---|---|---|---|
| World map or airport info | Runway list, ILS/LOC frequency, sometimes front course | Quick pre-flight lookup | Often no published altitudes or minima |
| GPS/FMS procedure page | Approach name, fixes, sequencing, sometimes radio tuning | Checking what the aircraft will fly | The procedure may load without tuning NAV1 |
| ATC approach assignment | Assigned runway and procedure type | Confirming the runway you are actually expected to use | ATC may assign a different approach from the one you planned |
| Chart viewer or EFB | Full plate with fixes, altitudes, minima and missed approach | Flying the procedure properly | Charts and sim navdata may be on different cycles |
- Pick the runway first. An airport may have several instrument approaches, and only some runways have an ILS. Do not search for a frequency until you know the exact runway and procedure.
- Read the airport or approach information. Look for the runway's ILS or LOC frequency and the front course. Older sims often show this on a map or GPS page; newer ones may show it on the world map, EFB or procedure list. If you want the usual places these values appear in specific sims, our FSX ILS walkthrough shows where to get the runway frequency and course, and our MSFS 2024 ILS guide points out the common in-sim sources.
- Check the procedure name, not just the runway.
ILS,ILS Y,ILS ZandLOCare not interchangeable. A LOC approach uses the localiser only, so a glideslope may not be available even though the frequency looks correct. - Cross-check in the aircraft. The FMS may list the approach and fixes, but that does not guarantee the NAV radio is tuned or that the course selector matches the published front course. Basic aircraft often need manual tuning.
- Use a chart for the rest. Frequencies and course are only the start. To fly the procedure properly, you still need the fix sequence, altitude constraints, minima and missed approach.
What chart data should I note before the approach?
Before intercepting the localiser, note the procedure name, the final approach fix, the altitude at that fix, the glideslope intercept altitude, your minima and the missed approach instructions.
- Procedure name: match the exact approach loaded in the sim.
- Localiser frequency: this is the NAV frequency you tune or verify.
- Front course: this is the inbound course for the runway end you are flying.
- Fixes and altitudes: these stop you descending too early or intercepting from the wrong height.
- Minima: decision altitude or minimum descent altitude tells you when the runway must be in sight.
- Missed approach: you need this before you start, not after the runway disappears in cloud.
Many built-in flight planners stop short of a full approach plate. They may show the frequency and course but not the published altitudes or minima. If you need a quick refresher on what the localiser, glideslope and CDI are actually doing, our plain-English explanation of ILS in a simulator covers the instrument side.
If your sim has a built-in chart viewer, use it. If it does not, use charts that match your navdata cycle as closely as possible; otherwise the fixes and altitudes may not line up with what the FMS shows.
Which course number should I set?
Set the published front course for the ILS or localiser, not the reciprocal and not a guessed runway heading.
If the chart says 274 for Runway 27, set 274. Runway numbers are rounded magnetic headings; the localiser course is the exact published value. On some glass cockpits the autopilot will still capture without manual course entry, but we still recommend setting it so the HSI or CDI behaves sensibly.
Why does the chart not match the simulator?
The usual cause is mismatched navdata, not a broken ILS.
- Old simulator navdata: real-world frequencies, runway numbers and procedure names change, while the sim stays on older data.
- Different AIRAC cycles: the simulator, the aircraft add-on and your charts may all be on different cycles.
- Scenery mismatch: a custom airport can rename or move a runway while the nav database still carries older ILS data.
- Magnetic variation: a front course can differ slightly from the runway number. A one- or two-degree difference is normal.
- Wrong end of the runway: we see this constantly. An ILS is directional, so tuning the opposite-end localiser and approaching from the back side gives misleading or false guidance.
If the needles are alive but the indications still do not make sense, our guide to reading localiser and glideslope indications in Microsoft Flight Simulator is a useful visual refresher even if you fly other civil sims.
What if the airport shows no ILS at all?
If the airport shows no ILS for that runway, the simulator's nav database probably does not contain one.
- Check the other runway ends. Many airports have an ILS on one end only.
- Look for LOC instead of ILS.
- Confirm that you loaded the right airport and not one with a similar identifier or city name.
- If you use a custom airport add-on, test with stock scenery to rule out a broken airport file.
When there is no ILS, do not invent one by tuning a random frequency and hoping the needles centre. Load the correct procedure type for that runway, or plan a non-ILS approach instead.