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>Limitations Glide slope station for runway 09R at Hannover Airport in Germany >Due to the complexity of ILS localizer and glide slope systems, there are some
by bargl 13y ago
>Limitations
Glide slope station for runway 09R at Hannover Airport in Germany
>Due to the complexity of ILS localizer and glide slope systems, there are some limitations. Localizer systems are sensitive to obstructions in the signal broadcast area like large buildings or hangars. Glide slope systems are also limited by the terrain in front of the glide slope antennas. If terrain is sloping or uneven, reflections can create an uneven glidepath causing unwanted needle deflections. Additionally, since the ILS signals are pointed in one direction by the positioning of the arrays, glide slope supports only straight-line approaches with a constant angle of descent. Installation of an ILS can be costly because of siting criteria and the complexity of the antenna system.
>ILS critical areas and ILS sensitive areas are established to avoid hazardous reflections that would affect the radiated signal. The location of these critical areas can prevent aircraft from using certain taxiways[3] leading to delays in takeoffs, increased hold times, and increased separation between aircraft.
You don't think that the ILS system could be vulnerable to an attack similar to this? The main point of the article is that we rely on tech that is insecure to give us our location and that can be influenced by an outside source. If that outside source is nefarious in nature then we can experience some real issues.
- iliis 13y agoAs always when this comes up: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Beams https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Beams Yes, you can indeed hijack an ILS system. At least during WW2.
- snom380 13y agoYou can hijack it, but there are monitoring systems in place to detect if something is out of place. Also, ATC will usually notice flight path deviations quite quickly, at least on manned airports with radar coverage.
- yread 13y agoWhile ILS is generally considered to be the second most reliable instrument (after the windsock) it has its own problems... For example false glidescope, see http://www.ukfsc.co.uk/files/Safety%20Briefings%20_%20Presentations/Flight%20Ops%20-%20False%20ILS%20localiser%20capture%20BAE%20systems(1).pdf http://www.ukfsc.co.uk/files/Safety%20Briefings%20_%20Presen...