KIAH localizer problem

[Bhartman007]

Hello all,

First off, I really like the KIAH! I was happy to see mo home airport done so well
My question comes from a problem I had last night shooting an ILS approach to runway 26L. I had everything set up in the plane (Majestic Dash 8 Q400) to intercept the localizer, but the localizer will not come alive until I'm almost right over the runway. I had the FMS set to take me to one of the waypoints out on the approach path and then turn me right at the airport, so I was more or less "on the path" of the localizer already, but when I switched to ILS navigation it just wouldn't do anything (it couldn't detect the localizer). Once the plane got a couple of hundred yards from the runway the localizer came alive. I tried more than once and got the same results each time. It shouldn't have been an altitude/distance problem as I was at 2500 feet. The plane intercepted the localizer from several miles away without issue on two other airports, so I'm at a loss as to why this popped up. I haven't tried any of the other localizers at IAH to see if it happens there too.

[virtuali]

The scenery is surely correct, and the localizer for runway 26L has a range of 27NM. The only thing "unusual" (although entirely normal and supported by FSX), is that it's a back-course localizer, with both ends of the same runway sharing the frequency, so this is maybe you think there's a problem with it since in other airports you don't see a problem, maybe they are not of the back-course type.

So, just check you are using the instrumentation in the correct way to allow back course operation. Found a message on the Q400 here, which seems to suggest the airplane might have problem supporting it:

http://majesticsoftware.com/forums/discussion/395/back-course/p1

[Bhartman007]

Thanks for the reply. I'll try flying the front course and see if it works that way. The Q400 does have a "back course mode" on the auto pilot, so I'll try playing with that and see what happens. I would still have thought the CDI would show up, but the Q400 may work differently on a back course than I'm used to. I'll try my A2A and Caranedo aircraft to see if that works differently.