Hi Team.

Hope you are all well.

Last week I did the IREX exam and got a question asking me "When are you considered Established on the ILS". Here were the answers

A) Full scale deflection of the Localiser
Full scale deflection of the Localiser and Full scale deflection of the Glide Slope
C) Half scale deflection of the Localiser
D) Half scale deflection of the Localiser and Half scale deflection of the Glide Slope.

I picked D and I got it in my KDR. Im just trying to figure out if it was this question or another.

Maybe it was C.

Let me know team

Full scale deflection of the Localiser

FSD doesn't help at all as you could be anywhere outside the LLZ. Until you come off FSD you don't have any indication that you are near to where you want to be (other than whatever you are using for tracking to intercept the LLZ). Note that it is normal to intercept the LLZ somewhat prior to intercepting the GS.

Full scale deflection of the Localiser and Full scale deflection of the Glide Slope

See (A)

Half scale deflection of the Localiser

Sounds good. You are reasonably close to the LLZ centreline and, normally, still some distance to go to pick up the GS (so, normally, still at FSD fly up on the GS)

Half scale deflection of the Localiser and Half scale deflection of the Glide Slope.

See (A)

Hi John.

Thank you very much for your quick reply.

Just to help me confirm that I did get this question wrong choosing (D) your answer would have been (C) ?

Thank you again

Have a look at the paragraphs and *Notes* in AIP sections below
aip enr 1.6-3 para 3.13 Note
aip enr 1.5-19 para 1.20.2 Note

Finding quickly the exact wording in AIP is important, because the answers offered will be very similar.
Use all permitted taggings and markings.

Thank you very much for the reply.

I think I am still struggling to understand what this means to the answer of the question I was given. Neither of these notes talk about using the Glide Slope, so should I assume that (C) was the answer talking about being with a half scale deflection of the Localiser only.

With exams you need to analyse all sentences within paragraph/note.
First look for conjunctions AND, OR, NOT, and interpunction marks <comma>,<full stop>, then break the sentences into parts.
Then in each part look for the keywords from the question and try understand what is the wording about.

Note: When ILS/GLS is used for final approach, pilots should report when established on the localiser or final approach course and not delay this report until the glide path is intercepted.

Note: "Established" means being within half full scale deflection for the ILS, VOR and GNSS, within +/-5deg of the required bearing for the NDB, or within +/-2NM of the DME arc.

So the first two parts from the first note are saying pilots should report on the localiser OR final approach course.
You were correct, no mention about glide slope/glide path.

Then the keywords in next part are not delay Established report until the glide path is intercepted .
basically telling you do not wait for GP.

So what is the answer ?

"Established" relates to tracking the LLZ. It is poor practice to intercept the GS other than from below so the usual story is that we track in using whatever aid to get to the LLZ, intercept the LLZ centreline and then continue tracking the LLZ until we intercept the GS and then fly the two needles down to the minima.

If you intercept closer in and try to establish on both rather than one at a time, you will find that your manipulative workload ramps up uncomfortably.

If you push your luck too far and try to establish on the GS before you have sorted out the LLZ, you may well find yourself low and not really knowing just where you are ... not a good tactic so you don't go there.

"C" is the answer being sought.

(C) is the answer. = When within a half deflection of the localised ONLY.

Do NOT wait for the glide slope to aline.

Thank you both @bosi72 and @JOHN.HEDDLES for your help. Sorry for all the back and forwards.

Have a fantastic week and thank you again for your service boys.