What instrument approaches are available at KMCO?

Under FAA chart cycle 2610 (effective 1–29 October 2026), KMCO publishes ILS OR LOC, RNAV (GPS) Y and RNAV (RNP) Z approaches to all eight runway ends. Separate ILS CAT II-III plates are published for Runways 17R, 18R, 35L and 36L; the exact titles and minima types are listed below.

We transcribed these titles from the official FAA Digital-Terminal Procedures Publication for cycle 2610. For Aviation & Real-World Flying study or simulator use after that cycle, match the procedure against the effective dates on the KMCO approach plates and airport diagram.

KMCO instrument approaches by runway

The table shows the published procedure families and labelled minima types, not the numerical altitude or visibility minima. Those figures, aircraft-category limits and chart notes must come from the applicable plate.

Circling or sidestep minima may also appear where the individual plate permits them. Do not infer those options from the procedure title alone.

Which KMCO ILS approaches are available?

KMCO has a standard ILS OR LOC procedure for every runway end, with additional CAT II-III ILS plates for 17R, 18R, 35L and 36L.

An ILS supplies lateral guidance from the localiser and vertical guidance from the glideslope. When both are available and the operation meets the plate requirements, the pilot follows the glideslope to the published decision altitude.

Localiser-only minima are different. If the glideslope is unavailable or the approach is being flown as a LOC procedure, the pilot uses the LOC step-down restrictions, minimum descent altitude and missed-approach point. A simulator-generated glidepath or FMS advisory descent does not turn LOC minima into ILS minima.

Before using any KMCO ILS, check the exact plate, frequency, identifier, inbound course and applicable NOTAMs. Our summary of KMCO localisers, ILS facilities and other navigation aids provides useful background, but the plate and ATC runway assignment control the approach being flown.

Which KMCO approach should I select?

In real operations, fly the approach assigned or cleared by ATC; in a simulator without ATC, select a procedure for the active runway that the aircraft and navigation database can support.

• ILS: Use it when assigned, when conventional localiser and glideslope guidance is preferred, or when the weather makes its published minima appropriate.
• RNAV (GPS) Y: Use this with suitable GNSS equipment and a matching database. LPV and LNAV/VNAV use decision altitudes; LNAV normally uses a minimum descent altitude. An LPV glidepath behaves like precision guidance but is not an ILS.
• RNAV (RNP) Z: This is an RNP AR procedure. It may contain tighter containment requirements or radius-to-fix legs and is not interchangeable with the RNAV (GPS) Y procedure.
• CAT II or CAT III ILS: Select this only when the aircraft, crew, operator, runway equipment, weather reporting and low-visibility procedures support the category.

A mistake we see constantly is selecting the right runway number but the wrong parallel. Runway 17L is on a different centreline from 17R, while the 17/35 and 18/36 runway systems are separate pairs. If the final approach course points towards an adjacent runway, go around and recheck the full designator.

For a concise explanation of how these guidance and minima families differ, see our comparison of ILS, localiser, RNAV and RNP approaches.

Can an Airbus A330 fly an ILS, CAT II/III or RNP approach at KMCO?

A suitably equipped Airbus A330 can normally fly KMCO’s standard ILS and database-coded RNAV approaches, but the aircraft type alone does not establish CAT II/III or RNP AR eligibility.

• Standard ILS or LOC: An A330 with operative approach equipment can track the localiser and glideslope, or fly the published localiser-only procedure. Correct receiver tuning, approach-mode engagement and flight-mode annunciations still need to be verified.
• CAT II/III: Eligibility depends on the specific A330 configuration, operative autopilots and landing systems, radio altimeters, ILS receivers, maintenance status, airline approval and crew qualification. Pressing APPR is not proof of a CAT III autoland.
• RNAV (GPS): The procedure must be present in the navigation database, and the aircraft must support the selected lateral and vertical guidance. The pilot must still verify the route, constraints and minima against the plate.
• RNAV (RNP) Z: Real-world use requires the specified navigation performance, suitable FMS functions, any required radius-to-fix capability, approved aircraft configuration, operator authorisation and qualified crew.

In a simulator, capability depends on the particular A330 model. Some reproduce ILS auto-tuning, dual-autopilot autoland logic, RF legs and navigation-accuracy monitoring; others simplify or omit them. The presence of a procedure in the flight-management computer does not prove that the add-on can fly it accurately, and a CAT III indication should not be assumed unless the expected landing-system annunciations appear.

How do I set up a KMCO approach in a simulator?

Use this ordered check before intercepting the approach, especially when flying an A330 or another FMS-equipped airliner.

1. Match the AIRAC and chart cycles. Compare the plate’s effective date with the aircraft’s navigation-data cycle. If fixes, suffixes or transitions disagree, obtain matching data rather than forcing an uncertain route into the FMS.
2. Confirm the active runway. Use the simulated ATIS or ATC clearance. Without ATC, consider the wind and airport configuration, then verify the complete designator: 17L, 17R, 18L, 18R, 35L, 35R, 36L or 36R.
3. Select the exact procedure and transition. Choose the published Y or Z variant rather than treating them as interchangeable. Confirm how the STAR or vectors join the selected initial or intermediate fix, and resolve any route discontinuity deliberately.
4. Check the ILS source where required. Verify the frequency, identifier and inbound course even if the aircraft auto-tunes them. Make sure the displayed identifier belongs to the selected runway before arming approach mode.
5. Review every constraint. Compare the FMS sequence with the plate, including step-down altitudes, speed limits, final approach fix and runway threshold. Check that the aircraft can reproduce any RF leg on an RNP procedure without cutting across the published path.
6. Set the correct minima. Use the line matching the approach capability and aircraft category: ILS, LOC, LPV, LNAV/VNAV, LNAV, RNP, CAT II or CAT III. Enter the correct barometric or radio-altimeter reference where the aircraft model requires it.
7. Plan the intercept. For an ILS, establish a sensible intercept angle and remain below the glideslope before capture. For RNAV, confirm that the approach is active and that the intended lateral and vertical modes are armed.
8. Brief the published missed approach. Identify the first heading, altitude, fix and hold before descending. Do not assume the simulator’s automatic missed-approach sequence exactly matches the plate.

Why is the KMCO ILS or RNAV approach not working?

The usual causes are a wrong parallel runway, mismatched navigation data, an incorrect guidance source or an aircraft model that does not support the procedure’s vertical or RF-leg logic.

• No localiser or glideslope capture: Check the frequency and identifier, confirm that ILS rather than FMS navigation is the active source where applicable, and intercept from below at a reasonable angle.
• FMS fixes do not match the plate: The chart and aircraft probably use different AIRAC cycles. Do not continue an RNP AR procedure by manually approximating missing fixes.
• No RNAV vertical path: Confirm that the procedure is active, the altimeter is set correctly and the aircraft supports the selected minima. LNAV-only minima do not guarantee a coupled electronic glidepath.
• Aircraft turns inside a curved leg: The add-on may not model radius-to-fix legs correctly. Use a procedure the model supports rather than attempting to salvage the RNP path.
• Autoland does not arm: Check the aircraft’s required autopilot, receiver and landing-system status. Capturing an ordinary ILS does not automatically produce CAT II or CAT III capability.

What must be checked before real-world use?

For an actual flight, use the effective FAA d-TPP plate, FAA NOTAMs, the Chart Supplement, ATIS and the ATC clearance, together with the aircraft flight manual, minimum-equipment requirements and the operator’s approved procedures.

CAT II/III status, lighting, RVR equipment, localiser serviceability, RNP values and procedure notes can change or be restricted by NOTAM before a new chart cycle is issued. This page and the simulator checklist are study aids, not operational authorisation to conduct a low-visibility or RNP AR approach.