Update of ILS stations: current status and limitations
Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 4:39 pm
ILS stations are tied to a physical runway on flight simulator; an update of ILS elements is difficult in many cases, unless a complete revision of airport layout is carried out.
What is currently updated on fsAerodata database:
The original airport database is based on aeronautical data from 2005, with several runway and ILS modifications during this period of time.
fsAerodata basically updates the ILS stations on stock/default airports, correcting errors at the time the flight simulator database was frozen or changes produced on existing ILS over the past 10 years.
The following errors are corrected:
• Slight errors on localizer coordinates, either shifted out of runway, or displaced along the runway length.
• Update of magnetic heading to align with Approach Charts,
• Update of ILS offset over the past years.
• New ILS stations added on existing runways
Changes on airports over last 10 years:
• Slight changes of localizer coordinates, due to changes on runway width or length,
• Revision of ILS naming, including up to-date runway heading (e.g. ILS/MLS/GLS 33L CAT III, instead original ILS 33L).
• Update of localizer frequency.
ILSs are disabled on following cases:
• Airport has been decommissioned,
• ILS has been decommissioned,
Effects on 3rd party airports:
- Bear in mind, fsAerodata does not correct any ILS on 3rd party addons. By updating default database, it may correct most of the issues on 3rd party addons, though.
- As long as fsAerodata has a higher priority on the scenery list, ILS will override those from other addon airports. Otherwise, addon airport ILS stations will be taken by simulator instead.
- When a default ILS cannot not be updated, due to significant changes on coordinates or on runway geometry, they may bring conflicts on addon airport that includes a correct runway layout. In those cases, it's advisable to set the addon airport with a higher priority.
- On airport addons where runway length has changed significantly versus default airport, the user may encounter problems with glideslope angle due to the original ILS location.
What is not updated or current limitations:
- No new ILS are added on stock airport, if that runway does not exist.
- ILS stations with relevant location errors or changes over the past years.
- Special cases due to airport complexity.
In summary, updating ILS stations is a relevant issue that has no easy solution on many cases, with several compromises to take on development, unless the complete airport layout is brought up to-date.
Status as of AIRAC cycle 1801:
Total of original ILS stations on FSX/P3D: 3,450
Total of ILS stations updated: 3,100
Total of ILS stations disabled: 360
Special cases fixed: 102
Total of new ILS stations added: 510
What is currently updated on fsAerodata database:
The original airport database is based on aeronautical data from 2005, with several runway and ILS modifications during this period of time.
fsAerodata basically updates the ILS stations on stock/default airports, correcting errors at the time the flight simulator database was frozen or changes produced on existing ILS over the past 10 years.
The following errors are corrected:
• Slight errors on localizer coordinates, either shifted out of runway, or displaced along the runway length.
• Update of magnetic heading to align with Approach Charts,
• Update of ILS offset over the past years.
• New ILS stations added on existing runways
Changes on airports over last 10 years:
• Slight changes of localizer coordinates, due to changes on runway width or length,
• Revision of ILS naming, including up to-date runway heading (e.g. ILS/MLS/GLS 33L CAT III, instead original ILS 33L).
• Update of localizer frequency.
ILSs are disabled on following cases:
• Airport has been decommissioned,
• ILS has been decommissioned,
Effects on 3rd party airports:
- Bear in mind, fsAerodata does not correct any ILS on 3rd party addons. By updating default database, it may correct most of the issues on 3rd party addons, though.
- As long as fsAerodata has a higher priority on the scenery list, ILS will override those from other addon airports. Otherwise, addon airport ILS stations will be taken by simulator instead.
- When a default ILS cannot not be updated, due to significant changes on coordinates or on runway geometry, they may bring conflicts on addon airport that includes a correct runway layout. In those cases, it's advisable to set the addon airport with a higher priority.
- On airport addons where runway length has changed significantly versus default airport, the user may encounter problems with glideslope angle due to the original ILS location.
What is not updated or current limitations:
- No new ILS are added on stock airport, if that runway does not exist.
- ILS stations with relevant location errors or changes over the past years.
- Special cases due to airport complexity.
In summary, updating ILS stations is a relevant issue that has no easy solution on many cases, with several compromises to take on development, unless the complete airport layout is brought up to-date.
Status as of AIRAC cycle 1801:
Total of original ILS stations on FSX/P3D: 3,450
Total of ILS stations updated: 3,100
Total of ILS stations disabled: 360
Special cases fixed: 102
Total of new ILS stations added: 510