Nice posts all. Read again what Tim47SIP said. He's on the right course. You don't want to be starting a missed from anywhere other than the MAP (for all the reasons he gave). Without the time or the DME you might still know when you get there based on a marker signal but, it's a lot more comfortable to have an idea of when you should hear that marker or see its lights. Bottom line is use all the information available to you. Time is one of those things, don't ignore it.
Note: You aren't "timing" so that you can switch from an ILS apch to a LOC appch. I wouldn't recommend that. If a component, such as GS fails, you should miss, regroup, and start the LOC apch from scratch. You are timing so that you can know when to start the miss. It's just an aid to knowing where you are. If you did not time the ILS, that shouldn't be a "failure" on a check ride as it is not mandatory. I just think it's good technique, but it's not law.
Another recommendation: Don't fly the approach only from "memory". The plate should always be where you can quickly and easily refer to it. Memory is great, except we humans forget. The more that goes wrong, the more we forget. Keep that plate where you can see it and reference it during the approach. This will also be important when the missed approach procedure is complex, as many are. About all you should commit to memory is the heading and the altitude. The rest ..... check the plate...... again.
On the multi-tasking idea. Yes, that's a problem and you should try to limit it as much as practical (another reason to keep that plate where you can see it). In the airline environment remember, there is no such thing as a single-pilot crew. The pilot not flying, has the ready and available assistance of the most sophisticated computer in the world, i.e., the other crewmember. Use your crew, it's a team. Don't fly "solo" when there are two pilots in the cockpit.
In the more sophisticated equipment in GA like the King Airs, etc., many are flown single-pilot (something I think should not be but I can't change reality). If your only problem is a failed GS, that's really no problem at all. How about a high density area, with a failed GS and a failed engine? Think you'll be multi-tasking then? The workload can get very, very high. Prepare for it and don't push your luck. Keep that plate handy and KNOW exactly where to look on it for the info you need at the moment. Commit everything to memory and after you've interrupted that memory with the memory items on some emergency procedure, where will you be? Point = memorize ONLY those things that you HAVE to and be ready to access (read) those things that you don't.
Finally, full scale localizer deflection? This should never happen! If you're more than 1 dot off the localizer, you have a problem. Correct it and do it NOW. Full scale deflections don't happen unless you're chasing localizer needles, which you shouldn't be doing under any circumstance. Don't "fly the localizer", fly the airplane. If you point it at the airport it will get there. In other words, fly the proper heading and the localizer will stay where it should. Only two things cause localizer deviation = pilots and wind, generally in that order. If the wind is strong enough to cause a full scale deflection, you probably shouldn't be landing there anyway. Get on the right HEADING and then hold it! Staying on the localizer will become quite easy if you do that.
Heading control can't be overempnasized. Think about this. If you get to the DH with a 1 dot deflection of the localizer, what is the airpline going to be lined up with? It won't be the middle of the runway. You can do that in a light airplane and it is still possible to land out of the approach. Do it in a big airplane and you've pretty much guaranteed a miss. Manuevering 100 ft off the ground to align with the runway is not practical in large aircraft. You need to be ON the localizer and that means centered, not off to one side.
If you haven't flown large aircraft as yet, get it the habit of being precise now, while you're still in your small aircraft. It will make all the difference in the world when you transition. Just do some mental math and you'll see why I say this. Look at the distance from the DH point to touchdown. Calculate how long it takes from there to touchdown when you reach DH at 140 KTS. How many seconds? How wide is the runway? If you break out lined up with the left side or the right side (= 1 dot deflection), how much time in seconds will it take you to move the airplane back to the middle? (Remember, when you start it moving sideways, you also have to stop it moving sideways [in the center] and flare and land. Think you can do that before it touches down? Don't bet on it. You need to be in the middle of the runway when you break out and the only way you can do that is to stay on the localizer. Full scale deflections anywhere inside the FAF means you're having way too much trouble flying the airplane to be in any kind of weather other than severe clear. At 140 Kts its always less than 2 minutes from the OM to the MM. There is no time for large corrections in instrument wx. Plan ahead, stay ahead.
Fly safe.
Note: You aren't "timing" so that you can switch from an ILS apch to a LOC appch. I wouldn't recommend that. If a component, such as GS fails, you should miss, regroup, and start the LOC apch from scratch. You are timing so that you can know when to start the miss. It's just an aid to knowing where you are. If you did not time the ILS, that shouldn't be a "failure" on a check ride as it is not mandatory. I just think it's good technique, but it's not law.
Another recommendation: Don't fly the approach only from "memory". The plate should always be where you can quickly and easily refer to it. Memory is great, except we humans forget. The more that goes wrong, the more we forget. Keep that plate where you can see it and reference it during the approach. This will also be important when the missed approach procedure is complex, as many are. About all you should commit to memory is the heading and the altitude. The rest ..... check the plate...... again.
On the multi-tasking idea. Yes, that's a problem and you should try to limit it as much as practical (another reason to keep that plate where you can see it). In the airline environment remember, there is no such thing as a single-pilot crew. The pilot not flying, has the ready and available assistance of the most sophisticated computer in the world, i.e., the other crewmember. Use your crew, it's a team. Don't fly "solo" when there are two pilots in the cockpit.
In the more sophisticated equipment in GA like the King Airs, etc., many are flown single-pilot (something I think should not be but I can't change reality). If your only problem is a failed GS, that's really no problem at all. How about a high density area, with a failed GS and a failed engine? Think you'll be multi-tasking then? The workload can get very, very high. Prepare for it and don't push your luck. Keep that plate handy and KNOW exactly where to look on it for the info you need at the moment. Commit everything to memory and after you've interrupted that memory with the memory items on some emergency procedure, where will you be? Point = memorize ONLY those things that you HAVE to and be ready to access (read) those things that you don't.
Finally, full scale localizer deflection? This should never happen! If you're more than 1 dot off the localizer, you have a problem. Correct it and do it NOW. Full scale deflections don't happen unless you're chasing localizer needles, which you shouldn't be doing under any circumstance. Don't "fly the localizer", fly the airplane. If you point it at the airport it will get there. In other words, fly the proper heading and the localizer will stay where it should. Only two things cause localizer deviation = pilots and wind, generally in that order. If the wind is strong enough to cause a full scale deflection, you probably shouldn't be landing there anyway. Get on the right HEADING and then hold it! Staying on the localizer will become quite easy if you do that.
Heading control can't be overempnasized. Think about this. If you get to the DH with a 1 dot deflection of the localizer, what is the airpline going to be lined up with? It won't be the middle of the runway. You can do that in a light airplane and it is still possible to land out of the approach. Do it in a big airplane and you've pretty much guaranteed a miss. Manuevering 100 ft off the ground to align with the runway is not practical in large aircraft. You need to be ON the localizer and that means centered, not off to one side.
If you haven't flown large aircraft as yet, get it the habit of being precise now, while you're still in your small aircraft. It will make all the difference in the world when you transition. Just do some mental math and you'll see why I say this. Look at the distance from the DH point to touchdown. Calculate how long it takes from there to touchdown when you reach DH at 140 KTS. How many seconds? How wide is the runway? If you break out lined up with the left side or the right side (= 1 dot deflection), how much time in seconds will it take you to move the airplane back to the middle? (Remember, when you start it moving sideways, you also have to stop it moving sideways [in the center] and flare and land. Think you can do that before it touches down? Don't bet on it. You need to be in the middle of the runway when you break out and the only way you can do that is to stay on the localizer. Full scale deflections anywhere inside the FAF means you're having way too much trouble flying the airplane to be in any kind of weather other than severe clear. At 140 Kts its always less than 2 minutes from the OM to the MM. There is no time for large corrections in instrument wx. Plan ahead, stay ahead.
Fly safe.
Last edited:
