User Guide

Learning To Fly with Rod Machado

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Here’s the sequence you should use:

1. Track on the 135-degree course from BTG until over LAKER intersection (you’ll know you’re over

LAKER when the blue marker beacon light illuminates and you hear the beeping (fries are done)

sound).

2. Turn to a heading of 99 degrees, then make an additional turn to center the localizer needle if

required (remember, you’ll experience reverse sensing here).

3. Descend to 3,500 feet and fly for two minutes past LAKER intersection (this should keep you

within 10 nm of LAKER).

4. After two minutes, turn right to a heading of 144 degrees for one minute, then left to 324

degrees to intercept the localizer inbound.

5. Once you’re inbound on the localizer, descend to 3,000 feet and intercept the glideslope

(remember, at 120 knots groundspeed, you’ll need to descend at a rate of 647 feet per minute

(FPM) to remain on this glideslope as shown by the rate vs. groundspeed table in position Q).

Your decision altitude is 280 feet and the minimum visibility required to land is one mile (position

R).

6. Press P to pause the simulation at decision altitude.

When you’re finished flying this approach, select Tutorial 15, Situation 8. This one is done in the

clouds with ½ mile visibility.

Wind Correction on the Localizer

As a teenager I recall the first time I told my dad that I needed some space. He locked me out of the

house and said, “Now you’ve got all the space you need.” At that precise moment I understood the

power of feedback. Feedback changed my behavior as I know it will change yours, especially in

reference to flying the localizer.

When you first begin flying the ILS, head the airplane in the direction of the localizer. In the case of

Portland, the localizer direction is 279 degrees. Fly 279 degrees and watch the needle’s movement.

You want feedback in the form of localizer needle movement. In particular you want to know which

way and how much the needle moves as you hold 279 degrees.

The movement of the localizer needle tells you two things: wind direction and wind speed

(determined by how fast the needle moves). Once the needle moves from its center position (use a

one-dot horizontal deflection), re-center it with a 5 to 10 degree intercept angle (IA). The smaller the

intercept angle, the less likely it is that you’ll overcorrect. Of course, if you use a 10-degree intercept

angle and the needle doesn’t move back to center or moves farther from center, then a larger

intercept angle is necessary. You also know that you’ll need at least a 10-degree wind correction

angle once you’re re-established on the localizer.