ils critical area

Ask a CFI: What is an ILS critical area and when should I hold short?

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When taxiing towards the starting point of a runway, you may see a red sign on the left with the letters ILS. There will also be a corresponding yellow marking on the taxiway, which looks like a ladder. This identifies the critical area for the instrument landing system, located near the ILS antenna array, where an airplane on the ground (or vehicle) in that space could interfere with the radio signals for airplanes flying an ILS instrument approach.

An ILS consists of two separate facilities that operate independently but come together in the cockpit to enable both lateral and vertical precision guidance. The localizer transmits VHF signals to provide lateral guidance, while the glideslope facility transmits UHF signals to provide vertifcal guidance.

You are only expected to hold short of this area when instructed to by ATC; however, at non-towered (pilot-controlled) airports, pilots should remain clear of ILS critical areas when an aircraft is within two miles of the runway threshold and the ceiling is below 800 feet OR the visibility is less than two miles.

ils critical area

ILS critical area

The ILS Critical Area Boundary Sign has a yellow background with a black inscription with a graphic depicting the ILS pavement holding position marking. This sign is located adjacent to the ILS holding position marking on the pavement and can be seen by pilots leaving the critical area. The sign is intended to provide pilots with another visual cue which they can use as a guide in deciding when they are clear of the ILS critical area.

ILS critical area boundary sign

ILS critical area boundary sign

Video tip: How thunderstorms develop

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Thunderstorms can cause considerable aircraft damage on the ground and in flight. Even airlines take extra precautions to divert around convective activity for the comfort of the passengers and the safety of the flight.

In this week’s video tip, you’ll learn the three conditions necessary for the formation of a thunderstorm. A thorough understanding of how and when thunderstorms develop will allow you to plan your flight to avoid dangerous weather.

The video clip below is from Sporty’s complete Learn to Fly Course.

Quiz: How Does The Body React To Flight?

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Do you know how the human body will react when exposed to the harsh conditions of high-altitude flight?

A pilot should be able to overcome the symptoms or avoid future occurrences of hyperventilation by
A pilot should be able to overcome the symptoms or avoid future occurrences of hyperventilation by
Correct! Wrong!
What preparation should a pilot make to adapt the eyes for night flying?
What preparation should a pilot make to adapt the eyes for night flying?
Correct! Wrong!
Which of the following are true regarding a hangover caused by prior alcohol consumption?
Which of the following are true regarding a hangover caused by prior alcohol consumption?
Correct! Wrong!
Large accumulations of carbon monoxide in the human body result in
Large accumulations of carbon monoxide in the human body result in
Correct! Wrong!
For any flight, who is responsible for the pilot’s fitness to fly?
For any flight, who is responsible for the pilot’s fitness to fly?
Correct! Wrong!
The lack of sufficient oxygen to the body resulting in impairment is:
The lack of sufficient oxygen to the body resulting in impairment is:
Correct! Wrong!
Why are you more susceptible to dehydration in hot summer flying conditions?
Why are you more susceptible to dehydration in hot summer flying conditions?
Correct! Wrong!
Susceptibility to carbon monoxide poisoning increases as
Susceptibility to carbon monoxide poisoning increases as
Correct! Wrong!
If a pilot experiences spatial disorientation during flight in a restricted visibility condition, the best way to overcome the effect is to
If a pilot experiences spatial disorientation during flight in a restricted visibility condition, the best way to overcome the effect is to
Correct! Wrong!

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Flight Physiology You got out of 9 right!
two pilots in cockpit

New human factor courses available at FAASafety.gov

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two pilots in cockpit

The term “human factors” refers to the wide range of issues affecting how people perform tasks in their work and leisure environments.  Human factors study applies knowledge of the human body and mind to better understand human capabilities and limitations which allows stakeholders to better design tasks and technology in order to optimize the relationship between human operators and the environments within which they work.

To help better understand how pilots conduct and support flight operations, nine new Human Factors courses are available on the FAASTeam’s website at https://bit.ly/HFcourses. The course modules focus on safety culture, human performance, communication, teamwork, situational awareness, decision making, threat and error management, human information processing, and design and automation and are eligible for credit in the WINGS Pilot Proficiency Program. The courses include:

Safety Culture—Culture very much drives, “the way we do things around here”.  And yet many general aviation pilots feel that, because they don’t fly for an aviation organization, they’re not subject to cultural influences.
Human Performance—Human Factors knowledge has shown us how to excel in dealing with the physical, intellectual, and emotional challenges of flight.
Communication—Misunderstandings and communication failures at best cost time and money, and at worst, compromise safety.
Teamwork—There is a huge network of individuals and services available to every pilot and working with these assets as a team, we can fly to more places, more efficiently, and more safely than we can on our own.
Situational Awareness—Becoming situationally aware begins well before we take flight.  In many cases before we arrive at the airport.
Decision Making—This module teaches us how to make good decisions, even in tough situations.
Threat and Error Management—This module gives us knowledge and tools to manage threats, errors, and undesired aircraft states.
Human Information Processing—An overview of how our information processing system works and how a process intended to lead to success can occasionally contribute to failure.
Design and Automation—Technology and automation have eased pilot workload in some areas but increased it in others.

How to recover from an airplane spin, with Patty Wagstaff

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While spin training is only required for new flight instructor candidates, pilots of all skill levels should know the steps to recover from a spin. Join Patty Wagstaff in her Super Decathlon aerobatic airplane, as she explains how it’s possible to enter a spin, and then the proper recovery steps to return to straight and level flight, in this video segment from Sporty’s Basic Aerobatics Course.

Pilot’s Guide to Class E Airspace

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You’ll spend most of your flight training time in Class E airspace, whether you are practicing slow flight or stalls in your local training area or heading out on a longer cross-country flight. Class E airspace can often be confusing because it is not clearly marked on the sectional chart (a map pilots use for navigation), unlike the more strictly controlled airspace types like Class B, C, or D. While Class E airspace is considered controlled airspace, meaning it is monitored by air traffic control (ATC), you do not need their permission to fly in it as long as the weather is clear enough to meet basic visual flight rules (VFR).

Since Class E airspace is essentially “everywhere,” it’s crucial to understand its boundaries, particularly the ceiling (top) and floor (bottom). The ceiling of Class E airspace is easy to identify because it always ends at 17,999 feet above sea level (MSL). Above this, you enter Class A airspace, which is used by commercial airliners and other high-altitude flights (and then starts again at FL600/60,000′ if you’re out joyriding in an SR-71).

Class E airspace typically doesn’t reach down to the ground. In flat areas (non-mountainous terrain), the lowest part of Class E airspace usually starts 700 feet or 1,200 feet above the ground level (AGL). But how can you know the difference? You can determine this by looking at sectional charts, which provide details about the boundaries of different airspaces.

Class E airspace Floor

The answer lies within the faded magenta circle that typically surrounds nontowered airports. In the example above, the floor of Class E is 700′ on the faded side of the border (the airport surface area) and 1,200′ everywhere else. Stay below the floor of Class E airspace and you’ll remain in Class G airspace and take advantage of the less restrictive cloud clearance and visibility minimums.

Class E Airspace

Speaking of weather requirements, here’s a summary of the minimum cloud clearance and visibility required to operate in Class E airspace:

As with all things in aviation, there are many exceptions to the standard conventions. Here are some examples of Class E floor variations found throughout the US.

In this case, Class E extends to the surface, as identified by the dashed magenta line/box appearing adjacent to the Class D airspace:

Dashed magenta line designating class E extension to the surface on an aviation sectional map.

In some cases, the surface area for an airport is designated as Class E airspace, which is identified by the dashed magenta line/circle around the airport:

Class E surface area

Next, let’s review Class E airspace around federal airways. In this example around Victor 120, Class E airspace starts at 1,200′ AGL inside the blue feathered area and extends all the way to the Class A airspace above. The areas outside of the hard edge of the blue line are Class G airspace from the surface to 14,500′ MSL, and then Class E above that:

Class E Enroute Domestic Areas

For additional airspace review, check out our airspace quiz and see how well you know the entire airspace system.  You may also find this video on Class E airspace classification helpful. And for complete training on the entire National Airspace system plus much more, check out Sporty’s Learn To Fly Pilot Training Course.