Navaids range

[cellular55]

Hi Pete,

 

there is a way, through the info extracted by Makerwys or through an offset, to know which is the range in miles of a navaid (VOR, ILS, etc) ?

 

Thanks in advance for the help

 

Joe

[Pete Dowson]

there is a way, through the info extracted by Makerwys or through an offset, to know which is the range in miles of a navaid (VOR, ILS, etc) ?

 

Do you mean the distance from your aircraft, or, as I will assume, the maximum distance from the NAVAID which you can receive it? If you mean the latter then it would (should) depend on your altitude and other factors like the weather. I don't know how much that stuff is simulated in FS though.

 

MakeRunways doesn't provide NAVAID data, except for ILS's as they are parts of the runway data.  There are programs which covert BGLs into readable XML format. Maybe the range is in that data. Sorry, it isn't something I really know much about.

 

ILS reception in general would be about 20-25 nm, but only within a certain angle from the LOC. And it would (should) vary according to terrain. VORs vary considerably depending on whether they are intended as High or Low level NAVAIDs, or just locators like Markers. I don't know offhand whether the range is set in the BGLs by a numerical value or by type. You'd need to decode some ad see, or refer to the BGL documentations.

 

Sorry if I'm not much help here. I could do the research, but then so could you. ;-)

 

Regards

Pete

[cellular55]

Hi Pete,

 

thanks for the prompt reply.

 

yes I was meaning the maximum distance from the navaid that I can receive and mainly referred to the ILS (i'm writing a tool that should support the landings starting the final approachs at the maximum valid distance from the ILS avoiding for example bad and sudden banking on the final).

 

I have seen some tools (like Super Flight Planner) providing that kind of info, so I was wondering if they were obtaining such data from makerwys.

 

As you suggest I will do some investigations on this.

 

Thanks again and best regards

 

Joe

[mgh]

There is an entry for the range of ILS and VOR/DME in their xml and compiled bgl files. It defaults to 27 nm according to the SDK. ADE9X should be able to display details of VOR/DME at airports.

 

I know of no straightforward way to read them in flight.

[cellular55]

Hi,

 

thanks for the suggestion. I will have a look if I'm able to extract a readable file with that info.

 

The idea is to write a tool extrapolating the final leg of a flight plan considering the projection of the landing RWY course long as the maximum ILS range to facilitate the final approach and alignment (i.e. reading through FSUIPC the aircraft lat and long this should allow a soft and gradual approach avoiding as much as possible unrealistic and heavy banking to intercept the ils).

 

Best regards

 

Joe

[hsors]

I will have a look if I'm able to extract a readable file with that info

 

You should be able to do that simply by reading the BGL files containing the navaids you are interested in. As mgh pointed out there is no way to read that another way

For information default FS (and standard ranges) are tabulated below. ILSs FS default ranges are always 27 NM

http://www.flightsimaviation.com/aviation_theory_6_Navaid_Service_Volumes.html

VOR ranges (NM)

High Altitude: 195 NM (standard 130 NM)

Low Altitude: 60 NM (standard: 40 NM)

Terminal: 37.5 NM (standard 25 NM)

 

NDB ranges (NM)

High power NDB (HH): 112.5 NM (standard: 75 NM)

NDB (H): 75 NM (standard 50 NM)

Medium power (MH): 37.5 NM (standard: 25 NM)

Low power (L): 22.5 NM (standard: 15 NM)