How do I know if an airport has ILS?

One way to tell if an airport has ILS or not (assuming you can't discern from the cones), is to tap on the airport and then go to the “runway” heading. If you tap on a specific runway and the “set NAV 1” button is disabled, then that runway is not equipped with ILS.



To find out if an airport is equipped with an Instrument Landing System (ILS), you should consult the official Instrument Approach Charts (IAPs), often called "Approach Plates." These are available via aviation apps like ForeFlight, SkyVector, or the FAA's digital Terminal Procedures Publication (d-TPP). When looking at a chart for a specific runway, look for the title "ILS or LOC RWY [Number]." The presence of an ILS is also indicated in the Airport/Facility Directory (A/FD) or the Jeppesen charts used by commercial pilots. Physically, you can tell an airport has an ILS by looking for the Localizer antenna (a long row of horizontal antennas at the far end of the runway) and the Glide Slope antenna (a vertical mast located near the touchdown zone). In 2026, while many airports are shifting toward GPS-based (RNAV/LPV) approaches, major commercial hubs still maintain ILS as the "gold standard" for precision landings in zero-visibility conditions.

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It is only possible to automatically land at an airport equipped with a suitable ILS. In short, no ILS, no automatic landing.

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Takeoff is always achieved manually. However, depending on the aircraft type and airport approach facilities, they can be landed automatically using an instrument landing system coupled with onboard equipment. However, given a choice, most pilots prefer to perform a manual landing.

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When flying under VFR rules, you can use an ILS to help guide you to land. Typically, at an airport with an ILS, you cannot just jump onto it yourself when flying under VFR rules, but instead you can request Approach / Tower, that as VFR, for premission to fly a Practice ILS approach under VFR flight rules.

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The autopilot can take part in most of the control mechanisms except takeoff. In general, it controls the movement of the aircraft around the center of gravity and directs the aircraft according to safety parameters. Route data prepared before the flight is uploaded to this software.

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