![]() The vertical guidance lets you know what the right glide path is, so you have better situational awareness and know exactly where you are in relation to the correct glide path. Precision approaches, however, allow you to descend continually until you reach a Decision Height (DH). That won’t leave you with enough time to descend safely, and you’ll have to go around. If the visibility is very low, you might not be able to see the runway until you get very close to it. That means you descend on your approach down to the MDA, level off, and then maintain altitude until you see the runway. When you’re flying a non-precision approach, you can’t descend below the Minimum Descent Altitude (MDA) until you’ve made visual contact with the runway. Since the ILS provides vertical as well as horizontal guidance, ILS approaches are classified as precision approaches. They’ll line you up with the runway but won’t tell you if you’re too high or too low on your approach. Non-precision approaches only provide lateral guidance. There are two kinds of Instrument approaches: Precision and Non-Precision. ![]() Instrument approaches allow you to descend to the runway even if the visibility is poor at your destination because of fog, rain, or clouds. When you’re following one of these procedures to line yourself up for landing, you’re said to be flying an ILS approach. There are specific procedures published for each runway that tell pilots how to use the ILS for that particular runway. ![]() If aircraft were limited to landing only when the weather was perfect, we would be flying a lot less than we do now! The ILS uses radio signals to help pilots align the aircraft accurately on their approach to a runway. Unlike your car, most aircraft are able to use a navigational system called the ILS. So how do pilots manage to land their aircraft safely and accurately without even being able to see where they’re going? Even driving a car can be dangerous in foggy weather. ![]()
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