How do I find ILS data and charts in a flight simulator?

In a general flight simulator, find an airport’s ILS frequency and front course in the world map or flight planner, airport information, the aircraft’s GPS/FMS procedure page, or its electronic flight bag. Use the matching approach chart for fixes, altitudes, minima and the missed approach, then verify the navdata cycle.

Where do I find the ILS frequency and course?

The quickest source is usually the simulator’s airport information or flight-planning screen, but a full approach plate normally comes from an EFB, chart panel or separate chart source.

1. Select the exact airport and runway. Check the airport identifier rather than relying only on the city name. An airport may have an ILS on one runway end but not the other.
2. Choose the precise procedure. ILS, ILS Y, ILS Z and LOC procedures are not interchangeable. Match the complete chart title to the approach loaded in the aircraft.
3. Read the frequency, identifier and front course. The glideslope frequency is paired automatically with the localiser frequency; pilots do not normally tune a separate glideslope channel.
4. Tune or verify the receiver. Basic aircraft generally require the ILS frequency in the active NAV1 or NAV2 position. More advanced avionics may auto-tune it, but the frequency and displayed identifier still need checking.
5. Select the correct navigation source. If the CDI or HSI remains in GPS mode, raw localiser guidance may not appear. Select LOC, VLOC or the equivalent mode where the aircraft requires it.
6. Set the published course. Use the approach plate’s inbound front course, not a course guessed from the runway number.
7. Keep the full chart available. The frequency and course alone do not tell you the intercept altitude, minimum altitude, decision point or missed approach.

Where are ILS charts in older simulators?

FS2004 and similar older simulators provide basic navaid information through their maps and GPS units but lack the integrated EFBs found in newer platforms. For FS2004, this in-simulator airport diagram viewer shows runways, taxiways, ILS elements, gates and parking positions.

For managing procedure material while flying FS2004, ChartMap’s chart search, storage and display tools provide a more flexible option. These utilities are only as accurate as the chart data supplied to them, so they do not remove the need to check dates and procedure names.

What chart do I need for an ILS approach?

You need the instrument approach plate for the exact ILS procedure, not merely an airport diagram.

• Procedure title: confirms the runway, approach type and any Y or Z variant.
• Localiser details: frequency, identifier and published inbound course.
• Fix sequence: the transition, initial approach fix, intermediate fixes and final approach fix or glideslope intercept point.
• Vertical profile: required altitudes, glideslope intercept altitude and any step-down restrictions.
• Minima: use the line applicable to the aircraft category, equipment and procedure being flown. An ILS normally uses a decision altitude or height; the localiser-only minima may be different.
• Missed approach: the initial climb, heading or track, altitude and holding instructions.
• Procedure notes: equipment requirements, DME source, restrictions and cases where the glideslope or other component is unavailable.

An airport diagram remains useful for runway and taxiway orientation, but it is not a substitute for the approach plate. Our practical guide to flying IFR in a simulator explains how charts, clearances and the aircraft’s navigation equipment fit together.

Which ILS course should I set?

Set the published front course shown on the approach chart or in the simulator’s procedure data.

Runway numbers are rounded magnetic directions, so Runway 27 might have a published localiser course of 274°. Set 274°, not 270° and not the reciprocal. A small difference between the runway designation and localiser course is normal.

Many glass cockpits set or derive the course automatically, while older HSIs, CDIs and autopilots may expect manual course selection. The course knob does not tune the ILS transmitter, but an incorrect setting can make the display or autopilot behaviour misleading.

Do not use an opposite-end localiser as an improvised approach. Only fly localiser back-course guidance when a published back-course procedure exists and the aircraft’s equipment supports it.

Can I use real-world charts with simulator navdata?

Real-world charts work well for simulation only when the airport layout, procedure and navigation data are close enough to what the simulator contains.

The base simulator, aircraft FMS, scenery and chart panel can each use different datasets. Updating one does not necessarily update the others. Compare the chart’s effective date or AIRAC cycle with the cycle shown by the aircraft or simulator where that information is available.

Why does the chart not match the simulator?

The usual cause is mismatched navdata or scenery rather than a faulty ILS receiver.

• Old simulator data: frequencies, fixes, runway numbers and procedure names can change while an older simulator retains the previous values.
• Different AIRAC cycles: the FMS may know a procedure that the chart panel does not, or vice versa.
• Scenery mismatch: an add-on airport may move or rename a runway without changing the separate navigation database.
• Wrong procedure variant: ILS Y and ILS Z approaches can use different transitions, restrictions or equipment.
• Wrong runway end: an ILS is directional. Receiving the signal from behind the antenna does not make it a valid approach from that direction.
• Magnetic-data differences: a modest course discrepancy can result from different magnetic models or publication dates.

Compare the airport identifier, runway, procedure title, localiser frequency and identifier in that order. If a custom airport or navdata package is installed, test the stock configuration where practical to isolate a conflict.

Why are the ILS needles missing or not capturing?

Most ILS failures come from receiver setup, navigation-source selection or poor intercept geometry rather than missing chart data.

• Confirm that the frequency is in the active NAV position rather than standby.
• Check that the correct NAV receiver drives the displayed CDI or HSI.
• Verify the localiser identifier instead of trusting the frequency alone.
• Change the navigation source from GPS to LOC/VLOC when the aircraft requires a manual changeover.
• Approach the localiser from the front at a sensible intercept angle and altitude.
• Intercept the glideslope from below. Capturing from above may fail or produce unreliable guidance.
• Confirm that the selected procedure is an ILS rather than a localiser-only approach.
• Arm the aircraft’s approach mode at the appropriate point; loading an ILS into the FMS does not engage the autopilot’s approach mode.

If the indications are active but difficult to interpret, our illustrated guide to localiser and glideslope use in Microsoft Flight Simulator explains the display indications and normal intercept sequence.

What if the airport shows no ILS?

If the simulator shows no ILS for that runway, its navigation database probably does not contain one.

• Check the opposite runway end; ILS coverage is not always installed in both directions.
• Look for a LOC procedure, which provides lateral guidance without a usable glideslope.
• Confirm the airport identifier and runway number, especially if the runway has been renumbered.
• Compare the stock airport with any installed scenery or navdata add-on.
• If the chart shows an ILS but the simulator does not, treat it as a data mismatch and use the procedure represented in the simulator.

Do not invent an ILS by tuning a nearby frequency. Select a valid RNAV, VOR, NDB, localiser or visual approach supported by the simulator’s data and the aircraft’s equipment.