Microwave Landing System

(MLS)
❑ Introduction …with an advanced precision
approach system
• The Microwave
would overcome the disadvantages
Landing System
of ILS and also provide greater
(MLS) was designed
flexibility to its users.
to replace ILS…
 • 40 channels
• cannot be sited in hilly areas
… • no special procedures available for
slower aircraft, helicopters, and
• What are some STOL
of the
disadvantages of • azimuth and glideslope beams are
ILS? fixed and narrow.
• Interference( vehicles, building a/c
taxing & low flying)
 • There are 200 channels
❑ The MLS System available worldwide.
• The MLS has a built-in
• The Microwave Landing DME.
System (MLS) has the
following features: • The identification prefix for
the MLS is an ‘M’ followed by
two letters.
 • This enables it to be sited in
hilly areas without having to
level the site.
• Course deviation errors
(bending) of the localizer and
• It operates in the SHF
glide path caused by aircraft,
band,
vehicles and buildings are no
5031 - 5090.7 MHz. longer a problem because the
Spacing 300 kHz, giving MLS scanning beam can be
200 channels interrupted and therefore avoids
the reflections.
The azimuth coverage is at
least ± 40° of the runway
on-course line (QDM)…

…and glide slopes from

0.9° to 20° can be selected.
The usable range is 20-30
NM from the MLS site.
 a secondary system is provided to give
overshoot and departure guidance
± 20° of runway direction up to 15° in
…
elevation to a range of 10 NM and a
• There is no height of 10000 ft.
problem with back
course
transmissions;
 • Because of its increased azimuth
and elevation coverage aircraft
can choose their own
• MLS is compatible with approaches.
conventional localizer
• This will increase runway
and glide path
utilization and be beneficial to
instruments, EFIS,
helicopters and STOL aircraft.
auto-pilot systems and
area navigation
equipment.
 …plus definite and continuous
• MLS gives positive on/off flag indications for
automatic landing the localizer and glide slope
indications… needles.
 ❑ Principle of whereby only one frequency is
Operation used on a channel but the
transmissions from the various
• MLS employs the angle and data ground equipments
principle of Time are synchronized to assure
Division interference free operations on the
Multiplexing common radio frequency.
(TDM)…
❑ Azimuth location the aircraft computes its azimuth
position in relation to the
• Time referenced runway centre line by
scanning beam (TRSB) measuring the time interval in
is utilized in azimuth microseconds between the
and elevation as reception of the ‘to’ and ‘fro’
follows: scanning beams.
 ….travels at a uniform speed to the
• The beam starts the other extremity.
‘to’ sweep at one • It then starts its ‘fro’ scan back to
extremity of its total its start position.
scan and…
 …is proportional to the angular position
of the aircraft in relation to the runway
…
on-course line.
• The time interval • The pilot can choose to fly the runway
between the reception on-course line (QDM) or an approach
of the ‘to’ and ‘fro’ path which he selects as a pre
pulses… determined number of degrees ± the
runway direction.
 ❑ Glide slope
• The aircraft’s position in relation
location
to its selected glide slope angle
• Another beam scans is thus calculated in the same
up and down at a manner by measuring the time
uniform speed difference between the
within its elevation reception of the pulses from the
limits. up and down sweep.
 …the transmissions from the
other components of the MLS
• The transmissions system are transmitted at
from the two beams different intervals i.e. it uses ‘
and time multiplexing’.
 ❑ Other components …this function is not intended for
of the system are: future implementation.
Flare Back azimuth
• Although the standard • Gives go-around and departure
has been developed to guidance ± 20° of runway direction
provide for flare up to 15° in elevation.
elevation,..
 • For Cat II and III
approaches a precision DME
DME
(DME/P) that is accurate to
• Range along the MLS within 100 feet must be
course is provided not available.
by markers but by a
DME.
 … • station identification

• Transmission of • system condition

auxiliary data. This • runway condition
consists of: • weather information