id: 9.4-technical-locations title: 9.4 Technical Locations meta: Learn the technical locations of certain objects within the Scenery Editor of Infinite Flight. order: 4 #
9.4 Technical Locations #
9.4.1 #
For the location of runways, localizers, glideslopes and other important objects, make maximum use of airport charts (see 3.1.1 above) and satellite imagery to ensure accurate placement.
Localizer #
9.4.2 #
The primary source for placement should{.red} be satellite images as there may be variations, however the distances below may help with placement:
| Localizer | Details |
|---|---|
| When | Only when the airport has an ILS and/or LOC-Only approach |
| Where | Placed 1000ft from the runway threshold (opposite end to the ILS/LOC-Only approach - e.g. so if the ILS is for RWY36, the antenna would be at the end of RWY18) - take note that the threshold might be displaced, so it is 1000ft from the white piano key markings, not 1000ft from the concrete! |
| Orientation | As a rule of thumb, place the antenna so that it is perpendicular to the runway with the electrical box side facing away from the runway |
The location of an additional red/white electrical box can be added but their locations vary significantly, if you can spot it on google maps or in some airport pictures that would be your best bet but it tends to be to one side of the LOC antenna and usually there is a bit of distance between them (i.e. not right next to each other like the G/S antenna)
Glideslope #
9.4.3 #
The primary source for placement should{.red} be satellite images as there may be variations, however the distances below may help with placement:
| Glideslope | Details |
|---|---|
| When | Only when the airport has an ILS approach |
| Where | Placed 750 - 1250ft from the runway threshold (this time the approach end - e.g. if the ILS is for RWY36, it would be placed 750 - 1250ft from the threshold of RWY36) and between 250 - 650ft from the runway centerline (most of the time the location coincides with abeam the main touchdown zone markings) - again, have a look on google maps, if you zoom in you’ll probably see which side it is on and what it is in-line with in terms of runway markings |
| Orientation | Place the antenna so that the white/grey aerials are facing the landing aircraft (see image below) |
Place a red/white electrical box behind the G/S antenna
Landing Guidance System (PAPI) #
9.4.4 #
The Landing Guidance System is several lights that visually indicate the glidepath, this is used by the pilot to maintain the glideslope in the final stages of the landing. They are located close to the touchdown zone of the runway, follow the below steps to configure the PAPIs correctly:
Step 1
: Add the Landing Guidance System object (see 9.2.1 above)
Step 2
: The lights must{.red} be adjusted so that they are in-line with the landing runway, this can be done by either using the circles (see 9.2.2 above) or within the “Properties” tab (by either using the slider or “+/-” symbol)
Step 3
: As well as this, the following properties must be adjusted:
- Runway Identifier (must{.red} match the runway number)
- Guidance Type (see Step 4)
- Glideslope (see Step 5)
Step 4
: For the Guidance Type, this must{.red} be changed dependant on the location of the PAPI (i.e. on the left or right side of the runway) and is shown below:
| Guidance Type | Description |
|---|---|
| VASI | TBD |
| PAPI4L | 2 lights next to each other in a row, only to be used on the left side of the runway (if applicable) |
| PAPI4R | 2 lights next to each other in a row, only to be used on the right side of the runway (if applicable) |
| Space Shuttle PAPI | Not Used |
| Tri Color VASI | TBD |
| Runway Guard | Not Used |
Step 5
: The glideslope, this must{.red} be changed to match the glideslope angle used IRL although by default, this is usually 3 degrees
VOR #
9.4.5 #
| VOR | Details |
|---|---|
| When | Only when the airport has a co-located VOR (i.e. a VOR within the airport boundaries) |
| Where | You will need to look at charts to work out roughly where the VOR is located, I would then go onto google maps and zoom in on that location (using the satellite option) to work out the exact location, you will also be able to tell from this if it is a large or small one (large: it’s bigger than the other one and has loads of antenna coming out from the center - small: much more compact and does not have as many antenna sticking out) |
| Orientation | I don’t think anyone would really notice so I wouldn’t worry about this! |
Holding Point Lights #
9.4.6 #
| Holding Point Lights | Details |
|---|---|
| When | At most airports |
| Where | Each side of a runway holding point in-line with the yellow holding point lines |
| Orientation | The lights need to be facing the aircraft, not the runway! |
Tower View Points #
9.4.7 #
Selecting different cameras as a pilot or controller can be done as shown in the Getting Started Guide. The ATC Tower view is created by adding a “View Point” (see 9.2.2 above).
9.4.8 #
Once the view point has been added, the view point must{.red} be placed within the centre of the 3D tower object. If there are multiple towers, a view point must{.red} be added for every tower.
Only the first viewpoint in the object list is selected in-app and so that first view point added must be placed in the “main” ATC Tower
9.4.9 #
With every view point added, Editors must{.red} change the camera view (see 2.1.5 above) to check that the view point is located correctly within the tower. The altitude of the view point can be changed to ensure that it is at the correct height to match the view point of the tower itself (see 9.3.1 above).
Top Tips #
9.4.10 #
- Have a look online to see if you can find airport images that will help with object placement
- Look up the charts for an airport, in particular the ground charts as these will often show the location of windsock(s), the tower(s), cargo area(s) and fire station(s)
- Using multiple satellite maps for cross-referencing
- The tips above on localizer and glideslope locations are for standard approaches ONLY. Places like LOWI are a special case - if in doubt, just ask!