How do I fly an ILS approach in a flight simulator?

To fly an ILS approach in a flight simulator, tune and identify the runway’s ILS, set the published front course, select radio navigation guidance, and intercept the localiser from below the glideslope. Arm approach mode only when established for capture, verify both modes on the flight-mode annunciator, then land manually or use a supported autoland.

For our Aviation & Real-World Flying readers, this is the common technique behind an ILS simulation in MSFS 2024, MSFS 2020, FSX, X-Plane and Prepar3D. Labels and automation vary by aircraft, so use the flight-mode annunciator (FMA), not an illuminated button, to determine what the autopilot is actually doing.

What does approach mode do in MSFS 2024?

In MSFS, approach mode—usually labelled APP, APR or APPR—arms the autopilot or flight director to capture the final approach’s lateral and vertical guidance. On an ILS, those modes are the localiser and glideslope.

Approach mode does not select a runway, tune the ILS in every aircraft, correct a poor intercept or guarantee an automatic landing. It also does not necessarily control speed: unless the aircraft has an active autothrottle system, the pilot must manage power.

Loading or activating an approach in the GPS or flight-management system is a separate action from pressing the autopilot’s approach button. For an ILS, a Garmin-style panel may need its CDI source changed from GPS to VLOC; an Airbus may auto-tune the ILS, use the LS button to display guidance and use APPR to arm capture. On many Garmin units, APR can also capture an RNAV glidepath, so the button label alone does not prove that radio-based ILS guidance is selected.

Aircraft in MSFS 2024 model these functions differently. Our MSFS 2024 ILS setup and mode sequence covers procedure selection, navigation-source switching and the FMA indications to expect.

What must be set before intercepting the ILS?

Before intercept, confirm the runway, ILS frequency and identifier, published inbound course, intercept altitude, minimums and missed-approach instructions.

• Correct procedure: Verify that it is an ILS, not a localiser-only, RNAV or visual approach bearing the same runway number.
• Frequency and identifier: Put the ILS frequency in the active receiver and confirm the displayed ident or Morse identifier where the simulator models it. Auto-tuning still needs checking.
• Navigation source: Confirm that the HSI or primary flight display is using the correct NAV receiver or landing-system source rather than an unrelated GPS route.
• Front course: Set the published inbound localiser course where the cockpit provides an operative course selector. Do not substitute the reciprocal course.
• Intercept geometry: Join at the charted altitude from below the glideslope. An intercept angle near 20–30 degrees is manageable for most simulator autopilots unless the procedure specifies otherwise.
• Minimums and pressure: Set the charted decision altitude or decision height, the correct pressure reference and the missed-approach altitude at the stage required by the aircraft.

The needed frequency, course, altitude, fixes and missed-approach instructions all come from the procedure plate. If those items are unfamiliar, use our instrument approach chart walkthrough before setting up the cockpit. Simulator scenery and navigation databases can represent different airport revisions, which may explain a renamed runway, changed frequency or small course discrepancy.

What is the reciprocal course, and should you set it?

The reciprocal course is the same line in the opposite direction, calculated by adding or subtracting 180 degrees and wrapping the result within 001–360 degrees. The reciprocal of 272 degrees is 092 degrees.

For a normal front-course ILS, set the published inbound course towards the runway—not its reciprocal and not simply the runway number multiplied by ten. Runway designators are rounded, while the published localiser course may differ by several degrees.

The reciprocal is relevant only when flying an authorised localiser back-course procedure. That requires the correct back-course technique or mode, and the glideslope is normally not used. Selecting the reciprocal during an ordinary ILS can create reverse or misleading indications in some simulated avionics.

How do I read an HSI on an ILS?

On an HSI ILS display, the lateral deviation bar shows whether the localiser course is left or right of the aircraft, while a separate pointer shows whether the glideslope is above or below it.

• Localiser bar left: With the front course set correctly, the localiser is left; correct gently left to intercept it.
• Localiser bar right: Correct gently right. Near the runway, localiser guidance becomes highly sensitive, so use smaller heading changes.
• Glideslope pointer above centre: The path is above the aircraft. Before capture, hold the published altitude and let the beam descend towards the centre.
• Glideslope pointer below centre: The aircraft is above the path. Do not dive steeply to recover it; abandon the approach or reposition for another intercept from below.

The selected heading bug does not set the ILS course, and a localiser is not a VOR bearing. Keep the published front course selected and use the deviation bar as precise course guidance rather than trying to point the aircraft directly at the transmitter.

How do you fly an ILS approach step by step?

A stable ILS approach captures the localiser first, meets the glideslope from below and reaches landing configuration before the workload becomes excessive.

1. Brief and load the approach. Select the correct ILS runway and transition or prepare for radar vectors. Review the inbound course, intercept altitude, minimums and missed approach; loading the procedure does not guarantee that the radio is tuned.
2. Build a sensible intercept. Approach the final course at the published altitude, typically using a shallow intercept rather than crossing the localiser at a right angle. Avoid arriving fast, high and close to the runway.
3. Tune and identify the ILS. Activate the published frequency, confirm its identifier and set the front course. If the aircraft has two NAV receivers, make sure the intended one is driving the primary display and autopilot.
4. Select the radio guidance source. Choose VLOC, LOC, LS or the aircraft’s equivalent when required. Check that localiser and glideslope scales appear on the HSI or primary flight display.
5. Slow and configure. Reduce speed and extend flap in accordance with the aircraft procedure. Manage power yourself unless a correctly configured autothrottle is doing so.
6. Arm localiser and approach capture. Select LOC followed by APP where required, or arm the combined approach mode. Expect an armed indication first and a captured indication as the aircraft reaches the beam; colours and labels differ between avionics.
7. Hold altitude until glideslope capture. After the localiser captures, maintain the intercept altitude while the glideslope pointer moves down towards centre. Confirm G/S or the equivalent becomes active before allowing the aircraft to descend.
8. Verify the descent. Check that the aircraft remains centred and descends at a plausible rate. As a rough check on a common three-degree path, vertical speed in feet per minute is approximately groundspeed multiplied by five; the charted angle takes precedence.
9. Complete the landing configuration. Lower the landing gear, select final flap, stabilise speed and complete the landing checks. Set the missed-approach altitude when the aircraft’s procedure calls for it, commonly after glideslope capture.
10. Decide at minimums. Continue only if the required runway references are visible and the approach is stable. Otherwise apply go-around power and fly the missed approach immediately. Our guide to decision altitude, decision height and missed-approach use explains this decision in simulator terms.

Why will the localiser or glideslope not capture?

ILS capture usually fails because the wrong guidance source is selected, the aircraft is outside suitable intercept geometry, approach mode is only armed, or the glideslope is being approached from above.

A mistake we see repeatedly in ILS flight forum discussions is treating an illuminated APP button as proof of capture. The button may show only that capture is armed. Confirm active localiser and glideslope modes on the FMA and check that the aircraft is tracking towards the correct runway with a credible descent rate.

Is an RNAV approach in an A320 flown the same way?

No. An RNAV approach in an A320 follows FMGS-computed navigation guidance rather than a ground-based localiser and glideslope, so it should not be flown by tuning an ILS or substituting a VLOC source.

Load the exact RNAV or RNP procedure and transition, resolve unintended route discontinuities, verify altitude constraints and minima, and confirm that the simulated A320 supports the procedure’s required vertical guidance. On many A320 simulations, pressing APPR for an eligible database-coded procedure arms an FMGS final-approach mode, often annunciated FINAL APP. That is not LOC and G/S; variants and add-ons model different capabilities, so the FMA and aircraft documentation govern.

If the model provides lateral guidance only, use the charted descent method rather than inventing an ILS-style glidepath. Many procedures labelled RNAV use an RNP approach specification, which we cover in our simulator procedure for flying an RNP approach.

Can every simulator aircraft perform an autoland?

No. Capturing and tracking an ILS with the autopilot does not mean the aircraft can flare, touch down and control the rollout automatically.

• Hand-flown ILS: The pilot follows the localiser and glideslope indications and lands manually.
• Coupled ILS: The autopilot tracks the beams, but the pilot disconnects at or above the aircraft’s permitted height and completes the landing.
• Autoland: The aircraft model must explicitly support it, with the required autopilot channels, radio-altimeter functions, landing configuration and annunciations correctly established.

Do not assume that pressing APP, seeing two centred needles or choosing a low-visibility-capable runway creates an autoland. If the simulated aircraft’s documentation supplies no autoland procedure, plan to disconnect and land manually.

How should I practise an ILS in simulation?

Good ILS simulation practice starts in clear weather on a known ILS, using the published intercept altitude and enough distance to stabilise before capture.

• Fly the first attempts without time acceleration or intrusive piloting assistance.
• Practise raw-data hand flying before relying entirely on the autopilot.
• Repeat the exercise using a coupled approach, reading every FMA change aloud or consciously identifying it.
• Introduce cloud and crosswind only after the tuning, source selection and capture sequence is reliable.
• Practise the missed approach as often as the landing; an approach is not complete until either the aircraft lands or the missed-approach procedure is established.

For real-world flying, use current official charts, approved aircraft procedures and instructor guidance. Simulator technique is valuable practice, but it does not replace operational training or authorisation.