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Aviation vocabulary · Navigation & Instruments

ILS

Meaning in aviation, with examples

abbreviationCommon term

In aviation, ILS means: Instrument landing system: radio signals from the ground that guide an aircraft left-right and up-down to the runway, so it can land in low cloud and poor visibility.

In Turkish: aletli iniş sistemi, ILS

How it is used

Said as letters: I-L-S. It has two parts: the localiser (left-right guidance) and the glideslope or glide path (vertical guidance). Pilots are 'cleared ILS approach runway 05' and report 'established on the localiser'. Categories I, II and III allow lower and lower minimums.

Example sentences

  1. The ILS for runway 23 is out of service, so we will fly an RNP approach.

  2. In this fog, only crews and aircraft approved for CAT III ILS approaches can land.

Common collocations

  • ILS approach
  • fly the ILS
  • ILS out of service
  • CAT III ILS
  • established on the ILS
  • approachThe phase of flight after the descent in which an aircraft is guided towards the runway it will land on, usually following a published procedure.
  • visibilityThe greatest distance at which objects can be clearly seen and identified, reported in metres or kilometres in most countries and in statute miles in the US.
  • ceilingThe height above the ground of the lowest layer of cloud that covers more than half of the sky. A low ceiling can make an approach impossible.
  • autopilotA system that flies the aircraft automatically, holding a selected heading, altitude, speed or route, while the pilots monitor it.

More terms: Navigation & Instruments

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