Find KDEN's Denver VOR/DME, ILS, DME, RNAV and radar aids, plus how to verify frequencies, runway coverage and outages before a flight.
In real-world aviation, Denver International Airport (KDEN) is served by Denver VOR/DME (DEN) on 117.90 MHz, ILS/localizer and glideslope guidance for every runway direction, DME-defined fixes, RNAV (GPS) procedures and ATC radar vectors. Exact frequencies, approach minima and outages must always be checked on current charts and NOTAMs.
What navigation aids does KDEN have?
KDEN combines conventional ground-based aids with satellite navigation and radar services.
| Aid | Availability at KDEN | Primary use |
|---|---|---|
| Denver VOR/DME | DEN, 117.90 MHz | VOR radials, airway navigation, procedure fixes and DME distance |
| ILS/localizer | Published for all 12 runway ends | Runway-centred lateral guidance and, with a working glideslope, vertical guidance |
| DME | Available through DEN and procedure-designated sources | Identifying fixes, step-down points and distance to a facility |
| RNAV (GPS) | Used extensively on departures, arrivals and approaches | Navigation between database waypoints without tracking a ground station |
| ATC radar | Terminal radar coverage and vectors | Sequencing, headings and approach interception |
| Visual aids | Runway-specific approach lighting and PAPI systems | Visual alignment and glidepath information near the runway |
What is the KDEN VOR frequency and identifier?
KDEN's airport VOR is Denver VOR/DME on 117.90 MHz, identified as DEN. It is situated on the southern side of the airport complex. Its Morse-code identification is -.. . -.; pilots should listen for or electronically confirm that ident before using the indication.
KDEN is the airport's ICAO code, while DEN is both its familiar three-letter airport code and the radio identifier for the VOR/DME. Those uses are related by name but represent different systems.
VOR radials are magnetic bearings from the station, and DME reports slant-range distance rather than horizontal distance to the runway threshold. The receiver may therefore show several miles while the aircraft is still on KDEN's large airport site. Our explanation of using VOR radials, fixes and airways together covers the wider route-planning method.
Do not confuse DEN with Mile High VORTAC, identifier DVV, which is a separate Denver-area facility that may appear on routes or procedures.
Does every KDEN runway have an ILS?
Published ILS or localizer procedures cover all 12 ends of KDEN's six physical runways, but their minima and operational authorisations are not identical.
The localizer supplies lateral guidance; the glideslope supplies vertical guidance. If a glideslope is unavailable, ATC may still clear the corresponding localizer procedure when it is published and usable, but the pilot must follow the higher LOC minima and any step-down restrictions.
Never select a KDEN localizer from memory. Opposite ends have different approach courses and identifiers, and parallel runways are easy to confuse. Category II or III capability must also be confirmed from the individual plate, aircraft approval, crew authorisation and reported equipment status rather than inferred from the airport's general capabilities.
Are RNAV and radar considered airport navigation aids?
RNAV and radar support navigation at KDEN, although neither is an on-airport radio beacon in the same sense as DEN VOR/DME.
RNAV (GPS) departures, arrivals and approaches use satellite positioning, an approved navigator and a valid navigation database. The words “RNAV (GPS)” in an approach title do not automatically guarantee a particular vertical-guidance line of minima; use only the minima shown on that procedure and supported by the installed equipment.
Denver Approach can provide radar vectors to an ILS, localizer or other final approach course. A radar heading is an ATC instruction, not a signal the pilot tunes, and it does not replace the need to load, brief and monitor the cleared procedure.
How should you verify KDEN navigation aids before a flight?
- Open the exact procedure. Use the current KDEN charts, approach plates and Chart Supplement data, not an old frequency list or simulator map.
- Check the effective cycle and NOTAMs. A published aid can be out of service, restricted or undergoing maintenance.
- Match runway, frequency and identifier. Tune the frequency from the plate and confirm the displayed or audible ident. Our guide to tuning and identifying NAV receivers explains the receiver workflow.
- Select the correct guidance source. Confirm that the CDI or HSI is using VOR/LOC or GPS as required; loading an approach does not always change the source automatically. See our practical explanation of HSI source selection and course indications.
- Cross-check the indication. Compare the course, DME or waypoint distance, aircraft position and cleared runway before following the needles.
Why might a KDEN ILS fail in a flight simulator?
The usual causes are a wrong parallel-runway frequency, an unconfirmed localizer ident, GPS mode still selected, intercepting from above the glideslope, or a mismatch between the simulator's navigation database and its airport scenery.
Use the frequency and identifier from the chart cycle represented by the simulator where possible. If the chart and simulator disagree, determine whether the aircraft database or scenery contains older data; changing frequencies at random can capture the opposite runway or an unrelated localizer. In real-world operations, approved current aeronautical data and NOTAMs always control.