Approach procedures

How it works

1. 1 A localizer (LOC) antenna at the far end of the runway transmits a lateral beam along the extended centerline — your needle centers when you are on it.
2. 2 A glideslope (GS) antenna beside the runway provides a vertical beam, typically a 3° descent path to the touchdown zone .
3. 3 You intercept the localizer first, then the glideslope from below, and follow both needles (or the autopilot) down.
4. 4 At the Decision Altitude you decide: runway in sight → land; not → go around.

On the chart

Look for the long thin localizer "feather" along the final course in the plan view , the ILS frequency and identifier in the briefing strip , and a DA (not MDA ) in the minima table. Categories CAT I /II/III indicate how low the approach may be flown — CAT III allows autoland in near-zero visibility.

In MSFS

• Load the approach in the FMC /G1000 and the ILS frequency is auto-tuned in most aircraft.
• Arm APPR mode only once established on the localizer, approaching the glideslope from below.
• Check the published course against your course selector — some sceneries differ by a degree or two.

How it works

1. 1 A GBAS ground station at the airport measures GPS errors and uplinks corrections plus the approach path to the aircraft.
2. 2 The aircraft computes a precision path from corrected GPS — one ground station can serve every runway and even curved paths.
3. 3 You fly it exactly like an ILS: lateral and vertical needles, decision altitude — CAT I certified today, CAT II (GAST-D) in rollout, CAT III still in development.
4. 4 The "channel" you tune is a five-digit GBAS channel number, not a frequency — e.g. via the GLS page in the FMC .

On the chart

In MSFS

• MSFS core support is limited — GLS works mainly in study-level add-ons with documented support (e.g. Fenix A32x, PMDG on equipped types).
• Tune the GBAS channel from the chart, not a VHF frequency.
• If no GLS exists for your aircraft, fly the matching ILS — the plate geometry is usually the same.

How it works

1. 1 The aircraft navigates between GPS-defined waypoints; no ground-based signal is needed.
2. 2 Depending on equipment, three levels of minima exist: LPV ( APV — near-precision, needs SBAS), LNAV/VNAV (APV — barometric vertical path) and LNAV (lateral only, flown to an MDA — the non-precision flavor).
3. 3 The final course is defined by the RNAV system; vertical guidance appears as an advisory glide path or step-down fixes.

On the chart

In MSFS

• Most default MSFS aircraft fly LNAV and LNAV/VNAV; true LPV capability depends on the aircraft add-on.
• Select the approach AND the correct transition in the FMC , or you will miss the intermediate fix .
• If no vertical path appears, treat it as LNAV-only and use the step-down altitudes.

How it works

1. 1 A VOR station radiates 360 radial "spokes"; the approach follows one specific inbound radial (e.g. "R-247").
2. 2 You center the CDI needle on the published radial and track it toward the station.
3. 3 Descent happens in published steps — fix by fix — down to the MDA, where you level off until the runway appears or the MAPt is reached.
4. 4 Many VOR approaches use DME distances to define the step-down fixes.

On the chart

The final course is a radial to/from a VOR drawn as a compass rose on the plan view . Step-down fixes are given as DME distances. The minima show an MDA, not a DA .

In MSFS

• Tune the VOR in NAV1, set the OBS to the published radial, and verify the morse identifier.
• The needle gets very sensitive close to the station — do not chase it.
• A great exercise for raw navigation skills: fly it without the FMC map.

How it works

1. 1 An NDB (Non-Directional Beacon) transmits a simple signal; the ADF needle in the cockpit always points at the station.
2. 2 You fly bearings toward (or away from) the beacon — often "to the beacon, then outbound on the final track".
3. 3 Wind correction is entirely manual: the needle points at the station, not along your track.
4. 4 Descent is in steps to an MDA ; the MAPt is often the beacon itself or a timing point.

On the chart

In MSFS

• Many MSFS aircraft have an ADF; tune the NDB frequency (in kHz) in the ADF radio.
• NDB approaches are a dying breed in the real world — mostly remote or terrain-driven fields still publish them.
• Great training for wind correction: crab the heading until the needle holds steady.

How it works

1. 1 You fly the localizer like an ILS, but without a glideslope you manage the descent yourself.
2. 2 Published step-down fixes (usually DME distances) tell you the latest point to reach each altitude.
3. 3 You descend to the MDA and level off until the MAPt or the runway.

On the chart

Titled "LOC RWY xx" — often published alongside the ILS of the same runway. The profile view shows step-down altitudes instead of a continuous glide path.

In MSFS

• If the glideslope fails on an ILS, you can continue as a LOC approach — real pilots train for this.
• In the sim, fly it by tuning the same ILS frequency but ignoring the glideslope and using the step-downs.
• Watch your descent planning: without a glide path, a stable descent needs mental math.

How it works

1. 1 The aircraft must stay inside a narrow containment corridor — e.g. RNP 0.3 means within 0.3 NM of the path, 95% of the time.
2. 2 Curved segments called RF legs (radius-to- fix ) let the path bend around terrain — Queenstown is the classic example.
3. 3 Vertical guidance comes from baro- VNAV to a DA ; missed approaches are also precisely defined paths.
4. 4 "AR" = Authorization Required : aircraft capability, crew training and OPS approval are all mandatory.

On the chart

In MSFS

• Works well in airliner add-ons with proper RF-leg support (PMDG 737, Fenix A32x); check the legs page for the arcs.
• Watch ANP vs RNP on the CDU/ND — if ANP exceeds RNP, you are out of the protected corridor.
• Default GPS aircraft often fly the curves poorly — hand-fly the RF legs or accept the wobble.

How it works

1. 1 You fly a published instrument approach that does not align with your landing runway.
2. 2 At the circling MDA , with the airport in sight, you maneuver visually — typically a low-level pattern — to the landing runway.
3. 3 You must stay inside the protected circling area (a radius around the runways) and keep the airport in sight at all times.

On the chart

The minima table has a separate "CIRCLING" line — an MDA that applies to the whole airport, not one runway. Title often reads e.g. " VOR -A" instead of naming a runway.

In MSFS

• Example: Innsbruck (LOWI) approaches often end in a circling maneuver.
• Practice it in good weather first — it is a pure flying-skills exercise.
• Losing sight of the runway while circling = immediate missed approach .

How it works

1. 1 ATC clears you for a visual approach when you report the airport (or the preceding traffic) in sight.
2. 2 You navigate visually to the final approach — typically a 3–5 NM final on a ~3° path.
3. 3 Many airports help with visual slope indicators ( PAPI / VASI lights) beside the runway.

On the chart

There is usually no dedicated chart — you reference the airport diagram . Some busy airports publish "visual approach" charts showing landmarks and recommended paths (e.g. the River Visual into Washington DCA).

In MSFS

• Use the PAPI: two red / two white lights = on the 3° glide path.
• A good mental anchor: at 5 NM out you should be ~1500 ft AGL , at 3 NM ~900 ft.
• The sim weather can tempt you into marginal visuals — brief a go-around point anyway.