ZULFIQAR ALI MIRANI

Radio Navigation Aids

In Brief

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RADIO NAVIGATION AIDS

Radio Navigation Systems

En-route Navigation

 NDB (Radio Beacons)

 VOR
 DME

Aids to Approach, Landing and Departure

 ILS

Non Directional Beacon (NDB)

Purpose:
It is used with direction finding equipment in the aircraft to provide bearing information of a
location on the air route or of an airport. Bearing in NDB is provided with respect to heading of
the aircraft.

Operating Frequency:
ICAO has assigned Low and Medium Frequency band of 200 – 1750 KHz for NDB operation;
where as most of NDB equipments are found operating within frequency band of 200-525 KHz.

Construction:
NDB consists of

1. LF/MF Transmitter
2. LF/MF Antenna and
3. Monitor

Transmission:
It radiates a non-directional pattern permitting reception from any point within service range of
the facility (usually 200 NM). Station identification code in the form of two letter Morse Code is
also transmitted by the NDB.

Airborne Indication:
An airborne radio direction finding (RDF) equipment once tuned to the signal indicates bearing
of the NDB transmitter with respect to aircraft heading. Bearing Indicator displays the bearing of
the station relative to the nose (heading) of the aircraft.

Airborne equipments that interacts with NDB (ground station) is called Automatic Direction
Finder (A.D.F) and indicates bearing on a full 360 degree radial.

Relative Bearing is the angle formed by the line drawn through the center line of the aircraft and
a line drawn from the aircraft to the radio station.

Magnetic Bearing is the angle formed by a line drawn from aircraft to the radio station and a line
drawn from the aircraft to magnetic north (Bearing to station).

Radio Nav-Aids 1/7

 Magnetic Bearing = Magnetic Heading + Relative Bearing.

Figure 2-2: Magnetic and Relative Bearing

VHF Omni Range (V.O.R)

Purpose:
It is a radio aid that provides, with inter action of airborne equipment, information about azimuth,
the course and TO-FROM to the pilot.

AZIMUTH in VOR is a clockwise angle between magnetic north and the line connecting the
VOR and the aircraft. The indication is displayed on an “Omni Bearing Indicator” in the aircraft.

The COURSE is the information whether aircraft is flying to the left or right of, or exactly on the
pre-selected course line. The course information is displayed on a “Flight Path Deviation
Indicator”.

TO-FROM indication tells the pilot whether an aircraft is approaching to or moving away from
VOR stations.

Operating Frequency:
VOR is assigned to operate in VHF band range from 112 – 118 MHz.

Transmission:
It radiates two radio signals modulated at 30 Hz, a reference signal which has constant phase
through out 360 degrees and a variable signal whose phase varies with variation in azimuth.
Station identification code, consisting two or three letters, in the form of Morse code is also
transmitted by the VOR.

Airborne Indications:
Indications of VOR information are given on airborne indicators as follows.

Course Selector is used in conjunction with left-right needle and To-From indicator to display
VOR information. This type of display is called “ Omni Bearing Indicator”. The course selection
can be displayed on a 360 degree azimuth dial or a 3 digit counter.

Radio Nav-Aids 2/7

The airborne system utilizing the VOR transmissions usually consists of an antenna, a VHF
receiver and the separate VOR navigation indicator or 'Omni Bearing Indicator [OBI].

Figure2-4: Pictures of VOR Airborne Indicator

Distance Measuring Equipment (DME)

The DME system is to provide continuous and accurate indication of the slant range distance
(expressed in nautical miles) of an equipped from an equipped ground reference point (i,e
ground DME facility).

System Components:
The system consists of two basic components, one fitted into the aircraft and the other installed
on the ground. The aircraft equipment is referred to as INTRROGATOR and the ground
component as TRANSPONDER.

Operating Frequencies:
The system operates within frequency band of 960 MHz to 1215 MHz. The interrogation and
Reply frequencies are assigned frequencies with, at least, 1 MHz separation.

The DME operates in the ultra-high frequency (UHF) band and therefore is restricted to line-of-
sight transmission.

Transmission of identification signal :

All transponders are to transmit an identification signal in one of the following forms.

a) An “independent identification” in Morse coed form

b) An “associated” signal for transponders associated with a VHF facility (VOR or ILS
localizer frequencies) which itself transmits an identity signal. The airborne receiving
equipment provides automatic DME selection through a coupled VOR/lLS receiver or, in
other words, selection of the appropriate VOR or ILS (LOC) frequency will automatically
tune the DME.

Coverage:
DME facility provides coverage up to 200 NM.

Radio Nav-Aids 3/7

Instrument Landing System (I.L.S)
ILS is a radio aid to the final approach and is used only within a short distance from the airport.
Its purpose is to help the pilot land the airplane. It is very helpful when visibility is limited and the
pilot cannot see the airport and runway.

The ILS provides the lateral and vertical guidance necessary to fly a precision approach. A
Precision Approach is an approved descent procedure using a navigation facility aligned with a
runway where glide slope information is given. When all components of the ILS system are
available, including the approved approach procedure, the pilot may execute a precision
approach.

Construction: ILS comprises of the following three components:

1. Localizer
2. Glide Slope
3. Marker Beacons

LOCALIZER:

Localizer is installed at the STOP END of a runway. It provides central line information to the
pilot approaching the aircraft for landing. The localizer signal is transmitted at the far end
of the runway.

Operating Frequency:
It is assigned specific transmitting frequency in the VHF band ranging between 108 MHz to 112
MHz.

Transmission:
Each localizer is identified by two or three letter Morse code designator preceded by the letter
“I”, which is modulated at 1020 Hz signal and transmitted six times per minute. For example:
IKC for ILS of Karachi Airport.
Radio Nav-Aids 4/7
Coverage:
Localizer coverage sector extends from the centre localizer antenna system to distance of 25
NM or 10 NM depending upon the category of the ILS used.

The localizer back course is used on some, but not all ILS systems. Where the back course is
approved for landing purposes, it is generally provided with a 75 MHz back marker facility or
NDB located 3 to 5 NM from touchdown. The course is checked periodically to ensure that it is
positioned within specified tolerances.

GLIDE SLOPE:

Glide slope is installed at the APPROACH END of a runway. The transmitter is located 750 to
1,250 feet (ft) down the runway from the threshold, offset 400 to 600 ft from the runway
centerline. The Glide path is adjusted to project an angle of 20 (degrees) above the horizon.
This angle may vary between 20 and 4.50 degrees depending upon obstructions along an
approach angle.

Operating Frequency:
It is to operate in UHF band range between 328 to 332 MHz with a 50 kHz spacing between
each channel. Each Glide Slope frequency is paired with a specific Localizer frequency thereby
permitting a pilot to automatically select the current Glide Slope frequency by selecting a
desired Localizer frequency

Coverage:
The Glide Slope is to provide signals sufficient to allow satisfactory operation in the sector of 8
degrees on each side of the Glide path to a distance of 10 NM.

MARKER BEACONS:

Marker beacons associated with ILS are designated as Outer Marker (OM), Middle Marker (MM)
and Inner Marker (IM) and are located along a localizer front course at specific distances from
the approach end of the runway.

Operating Frequency:
Marker Beacons operate at a frequency of 75 MHz.

Outer Marker
It is located at 4 to 7 miles from the approach end of a runway and identified by transmission of
continuous dashes.

The OM is modulated at 400 Hz that activates PURPLE light on Pilots instrument panel.

Middle Marker
MM is located at approximately 3,500 feet (1050 meters) from the approach end of runway and
identified by transmission of alternating dots and dashes.

The MM is modulated at 1,300 Hz that activates AMBER light on Pilots instrument panel.

Inner Marker
IM is identified by transmission of continuous dots transmitted at a rate of 6 dots per second. It
is installed between 250 feet and 1500 feet (450 meters) from the runway threshold.

The signal is modulated at 3000 Hz and activates WHITE light.

Radio Nav-Aids 5/7

Coverage:
The markers are adjusted to provide coverage (in vertical direction) as specified below.

IM: 100 – 200 meters

MM: 200 – 400 meters
OM: 400 – 400 meters

Airborne Equipment:

1. Cross Point Indicator

2. ILS Marker Receiver

Cross Point Indicator:

CPI is prominently located in front panel of the pilot and used to indicate ILS signals. The
vertical needle in CPI indicates position of the Localizer course and tells the pilot whether
aircraft is right on the central line of the runway or deviating on left or right from the central line.

Horizontal needle in CPI indicates the position of the aircraft with respect to glide angle.

ILS Marker Receiver:

It consists of three-light indicator mounted on the instrument panel in the aircraft. Activation of
these lights is controlled by the modulating frequencies of OM, MM and IM as described earlier.

The use of the light indicator with aural marker receiver enables pilot to have a double check
when an aircraft passes over the markers.

ILS Facility Performance Categories:

ILS is classified by category in accordance with the capabilities of the ground equipment.

Facility Performance Category-I ILS:

An ILS which provides guidance information from the coverage limit of the ILS to the point at
which the localizer course line intersects the ILS glide path at a height of 60 m (200 ft) or less
above the horizontal plane containing the threshold. Category I ILS provides guidance
information down to a decision height (DH) of not less than 200 ft.

Facility Performance Category-II ILS:

An ILS which provides guidance information from the coverage limit of the ILS to the point at
which the localizer course line intersects the ILS glide path at a height of 15 m (50 ft) or less
above the shorizontal plane containing the threshold. This way a DH of not less than 100 ft. on
the radar altimeter is authorized for Category II ILS approaches.

Facility Performance Category-III ILS:

An ILS which, with the aid of ancillary equipment where necessary, provides guidance
information from the coverage limit of the facility to, and along, the surface
of the runway.

Two ILS at opposite ends of a single runway:

At a location where two separate ILS facilities serve at opposite ends of a single runway, an
interlock should ensure that only the ILS serving the approach direction shall radiate.

Radio Nav-Aids 6/7

Frequency
Number of cycles in one second of a radio wave is called frequency.

Wavelength
The distance that a radio wave travels in the time of one cycle and is expressed in
meters is called Wavelength.

Speed of radio waves is given by

 186,000 miles per sec

 300,000 km per sec
 162,000 nautical miles per sec

Nautical Mile
A unit of length used in air navigation, based on the length of one minute of arc of a
great circle and is equal to 1,852 meters is called Nautical Mile

Radio Nav-Aids 7/7