Lessons Lesson 3 of 3
ILS approach and landing
Prepare the approach into Manchester, fly the ILS to runway 23R on the autopilot, take over for the landing and stop on the runway — and understand what guides you down.
START Descending towards Manchester with AP1 engaged on the ELVOS 1M arrival, ILS 23R in the MCDU, below 10,000 ft.
23 STEPS · 3 BRIEFINGS · 14 READ FROM THE SIM · 6 YOU CONFIRM
Written, not yet flown through in the sim: that comes before the app does. Until then, steps and checks may still change.
How to read the colours Green: done or read from the sim. Cyan: your action and where to find it. Amber: caution. Magenta: a route constraint.
The scenario · The arrival
- STAR
- ELVOS 1M
- QUSHI
- 250 kt max
- DAYNE
- 230 kt max · FL80
- ILS
- INN 109.50 · CRS 231 · 3.0°
- DA
- 449 ft
- GO-AROUND
- 3,500
Every step, with its reason
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Step 1: LAND lights to ON and SEAT BELTS to ON
WHERE Overhead panel, EXT LT and SIGNS
Read from the sim: LAND ON · SEAT BELTS ON
WHY
Below ten thousand feet you are back where traffic and birds are, and lights make you visible from far away. The seat belt sign gives the cabin crew time to secure the cabin before the approach gets busy.
The coach says: “Landing lights on. Seat belts on.”
CAUTION If this comes undone later, the coach says: “Caution. The landing lights or seat belt signs are off again.”
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BRIEFING · 2 OF 23
The ILS: two invisible beams to the runway
An instrument landing system sends two radio beams from the runway. The localizer tells you left or right of the centreline. The glide slope tells you above or below a path that descends at about three degrees to the touchdown point. Follow both and you arrive at the runway threshold at the right height, even in cloud. The autopilot can fly them for you. Your job is to set it up correctly and to watch that it does what you expect. Today we fly a category one approach: the autopilot flies the beams, and you take over once you see the runway, by the decision altitude at the latest, and land by hand.
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Step 3: MCDU PERF APPRQNH, TEMP and MAG WIND from the ATIS, TRANS ALT 5000, BARO 449, LDG CONF FULL
WHERE MCDU, PERF, then NEXT PHASE until APPR
You confirm this one
WHY
The approach speed, V app, is the lowest safe speed plus a margin for the wind: gusty headwinds need a little more speed in reserve. The decision altitude is the height where you must see the runway to continue. If you do not see it there, you go around. The aircraft calls minimum when you reach it. Four hundred and forty nine feet is two hundred feet above the runway at Manchester.
The coach says: “On the approach performance page, enter QNH, temperature and wind from the ATIS, transition altitude five thousand, baro minimum four four nine, and landing flaps full.”
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Step 4: MCDU RAD NAVcheck ILS INN 109.50, course 231. Press LS
WHERE MCDU RAD NAV. LS pushbutton on the EFIS control panel
You confirm this one
WHY
A wrong frequency means following the wrong beam, or none at all. Both ends of this runway, two three right and zero five left, use this frequency, so check the ident too: India November November is two three right. The course must match the runway. Pressing L S puts the localizer and glide slope scales on your primary flight display, so you can see the raw beams yourself and not only trust the autopilot.
The coach says: “On the radio nav page, check the ILS: India November November, one zero nine decimal five zero, course two three one. Then press LS.”
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Step 5: AUTO BRK to LO or MED, depending on the runway length and surface
WHERE Centre panel, next to the landing gear lever
You confirm this one
WHY
The autobrake does not press the brakes with a fixed force. It aims for a fixed rate of slowing down, and adjusts the pressure to keep it, whatever the runway is like. Low and medium do not brake the instant you touch down. They start a moment after the ground spoilers deploy, then hold a steady rate. Medium brakes harder than low. No spoilers, no auto brake.
The coach says: “Auto brake, low or medium.”
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BRIEFING · 6 OF 23
If we go around
Thrust levers fully forward to TOGA, rotate to about fifteen degrees, and call go around, flaps. Flaps up one step. Check the F M A: man TOGA, S R S, G A track. Positive climb, gear up. When lever climb flashes, thrust levers to climb. Then clean up on schedule and fly the missed approach: straight ahead, then right, climbing to three thousand five hundred feet.
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Step 7: ATCdescend to 3500 ft. Set 3500 on the FCU and push the altitude knob (FMA: DES). As you leave the flight level, set QNH on both sides and cross-check
WHERE FCU, altitude knob. EFIS control panels on the glareshield: baro knob
Read from the sim: Captain's baro on QNH · Captain's QNH within 1.5 hPa of the sim's QNH
WHY
Below the transition level the altimeter must show height above sea level again. In the U K you set Q N H the moment you leave the flight level for an altitude. Air traffic control gives the transition level.
The coach says: “Air traffic control clears us down to three thousand five hundred feet. Set it on the FCU and push the altitude knob: check the FMA shows descent. As you leave the flight level, set QNH on both sides and cross-check.”
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Step 8: After DAYNE: expect vectors to the localizer, about HDG 050 downwind, then left onto base and an intercept heading of about 260. Without a controller, fly these headings yourself (HDG knob, pull)
WHERE FCU, heading knob
You confirm this one
WHY
The arrival ends at DAYNE, and the flight plan has a gap after it: past DAYNE the aircraft would simply fly straight ahead. A controller turns you downwind, then onto base, then onto an intercept heading about thirty degrees off the final course of two three one, so the autopilot can capture the localizer cleanly. Pulling the heading knob gives you selected heading, which the autopilot flies until the localizer captures.
The coach says: “After DAYNE, expect vectors to the localizer: about heading zero five zero downwind, then left onto base, and an intercept heading of about two six zero. Without a controller, fly those headings yourself: turn the heading knob and pull it.”
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BRIEFING · 9 OF 23
Slowing down: speeds and flaps on the approach
From cruise speed to landing speed is a long way, and an Airbus does not like to slow down and go down at the same time. So you slow down in steps, and each step allows the next flap setting. Green dot, the small circle on the speed tape, is the best speed with the wing clean. S is the speed for flaps one, F for flaps two and three. The amber double bar on the speed tape is V F E next, the highest speed for the next flap setting: be below it before you ask for more flaps. Nothing stops you flying too fast for the flaps. You get an overspeed warning, and the flaps can be damaged.
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Step 10: MCDU PERFpress ACTIVATE APPR PHASE and confirm
WHERE MCDU PERF
You confirm this one
WHY
This tells the flight management system that the approach has started. In managed speed it now targets the speed for your current flap setting and slows towards V app step by step as you extend the flaps. Without it, the aircraft keeps the descent speed and you arrive too fast.
The coach says: “Activate the approach phase.”
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Step 11: At green dot: flaps 1
WHERE FLAPS lever
Read from the sim: FLAPS 1 or more
WHY
At green dot the clean wing has done all it can. Flaps one extends the slats, so the wing can fly slower without losing lift, and the speed target drops to S.
The coach says: “At green dot, flaps one.”
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Step 12: Cleared ILS 23R: on the intercept heading, press APPR. Check that the FMA shows G/S and LOC in blue (armed)
WHERE FCU, APPR pushbutton
Read from the sim: APPR ON
WHY
A P P R arms both beams. Blue on the F M A means armed: the autopilot is waiting until the beam is close. First the localizer turns green as the aircraft turns onto the centreline, then the glide slope as it starts down the path. Wait for air traffic control's clearance: they decide when you may join. At Manchester, arm it only once you are on an intercept heading: the chart warns of false localizer captures from the north and south.
The coach says: “Cleared for the ILS two three right. On the intercept heading, press APPR. Check glide slope and localizer are armed.”
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Step 13: At S speed: flaps 2
WHERE FLAPS lever
Read from the sim: FLAPS 2 or more
WHY
Flaps two is normally set before the glide slope is captured. Once you are descending on the beam, slowing down gets much harder, so the speed must be under control before you start down.
The coach says: “At S speed, flaps two.”
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Step 14: Gear DOWN and check three greens
WHERE Landing gear lever on the centre panel. Indicators next to it
Read from the sim: Gear DOWN
WHY
The gear adds a lot of drag, which helps you slow down on the glide slope. Three green triangles mean all three legs are down and locked. Anything else and you do not land.
The coach says: “Gear down. Check three greens.”
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Step 15: Speed brake lever to ARM
WHERE Pedestal, SPEED BRAKE lever
Read from the sim: Spoilers ARMED
WHY
At touchdown the ground spoilers deploy automatically and dump the wing's lift. Without them the wing keeps carrying part of the weight, the wheels skid instead of gripping, and the landing roll gets much longer.
The coach says: “Ground spoilers, arm.”
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Step 16: Glide slope captured: set or check the go-around altitude, 3500, on the FCU
WHERE FCU, altitude knob
Read from the sim: G/S captured or (Airborne and Altitude ≤ 2,750 ft) · FCU ALT 3,400–3,600 ft
Called when G/S captured or (Airborne and Altitude ≤ 2,750 ft)
WHY
On the glide slope the aircraft no longer levels off at the F C U altitude, so we can set the missed approach altitude now. If we go around, that is where the climb will stop.
The coach says: “Glide slope captured. Set the go-around altitude, three thousand five hundred.”
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Step 17: Flaps 3, then FULL. Check the speed reduces towards VAPP
WHERE FLAPS lever
Read from the sim: FLAPS FULL
WHY
Full flaps give the lowest landing speed, so the shortest landing and the softest touchdown. The speed settles at V app. From here the aircraft should be fully configured and stable, ready to land.
The coach says: “Flaps three, then flaps full.”
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Step 18: Check the ECAM LDG memo: all green
WHERE ECAM, upper display
You confirm this one
WHY
The landing memo is the aircraft's own checklist: seat belts, cabin ready, spoilers armed, flaps and gear set. A blue line is something still to do. All green means the aircraft agrees it is ready to land.
The coach says: “Landing memo, all green.”
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Step 19: 1,000 ft: check the approach is stabilized (speed, glide slope, localizer, configuration). Otherwise: go around
WHERE PFD
Read from the sim: Airborne · Height above ground ≤ 1,000 ft
Called when airborne and Height above ground ≤ 1,000 ft
WHY
Stabilized means on the right speed, on both beams, landing flaps and gear set and the engines spooled up. Most landing accidents start with an approach that was not. The rule is simple: if it is not stable here, you go around and try again. A go-around is never a failure.
The coach says: “One thousand feet. Check the approach is stabilized, otherwise go around.”
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Step 20: By the minimums at the latest: disconnect the autopilot with the sidestick button
WHERE The red button on the sidestick (or AP1 on the FCU)
Read from the sim: AP OFF
WHY
One autopilot can land this aircraft automatically, but only when the runway, the I L S and the crew are approved for it. Today we fly a normal category one approach, so you take over once you see the runway, by the minimums at the latest, and land by hand. With category one showing on the F M A, the autopilot is not allowed below one hundred and sixty feet. Use the button on the sidestick: it disconnects cleanly and silences the warning.
The coach says: “By the minimums, disconnect the autopilot.”
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Step 21: Around 30 ft: flare gently. When RETARD is called: thrust levers to IDLE. Touch down
WHERE Sidestick and thrust levers
Read from the sim: On ground
WHY
Close to the ground the flight controls change to flare mode and slowly lower the nose, just as a conventional aircraft would. That means you must pull back gently to break the descent. Retard is the aircraft reminding you to close the thrust levers: they do not move by themselves, and thrust left on lengthens the landing.
The coach says: “Around thirty feet, flare. On retard, thrust levers to idle.”
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Step 22: Select reverse (REV) and let the autobrake work. Below 70 kt: levers to REV IDLE. Before 20 kt: disengage the autobrake with the pedals. At taxi speed: thrust levers to IDLE (reversers stowed)
WHERE Thrust levers and brake pedals
Read from the sim: On ground · Ground speed ≤ 30 kt
WHY
Reverse thrust turns part of the engine's push forward. It works best at high speed and saves the brakes. Below seventy knots it does little, and the engines can blow up and swallow debris from the runway, so you bring it back to reverse idle. Keep the aircraft on the centreline with the rudder pedals.
The coach says: “Reverse. At seventy knots, reverse idle. Before twenty knots, auto brake off with the pedals. At taxi speed, reversers stowed.”
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Step 23: Clear of the runway: spoilers DISARM, LAND OFF, STROBE AUTO, NOSE TAXI, radar and PWS OFF, flaps 0, TCAS STBY, APU START
WHERE FLAPS and SPEED BRAKE levers. Overhead panel, EXT LT
Read from the sim: FLAPS 0 · Spoilers DISARMED
WHY
Only once you are clear of the runway, never on it, so nobody is distracted while the next aircraft may be landing behind you. Retracting the flaps protects them from stones thrown up by the wheels. The APU is usually started now, ready to take over the power at the gate.
The coach says: “Clear of the runway: ground spoilers disarm, landing lights off, strobe auto, nose light taxi, radar and predictive windshear off, flaps up, TCAS standby, and start the APU.”