When approaching the ILS, what is essential for safe landing?

When approaching an Instrument Landing System (ILS), ensuring the Glide Slope is functional is critical for a safe landing. The Glide Slope provides vertical guidance to the aircraft during the approach, assisting pilots in maintaining the correct descent angle toward the runway. This system helps prevent the aircraft from being too high or too low during the final approach, which is crucial for a successful landing.

If the Glide Slope is malfunctioning, the pilot would not receive proper guidance, which could lead to dangerous situations such as an unstable approach or a missed approach. Therefore, verifying that the Glide Slope is operational is fundamental for executing a precision approach under instrument flight rules, where visibility may be limited.

Having functional Glide Slope guidance directly contributes to adherence to safe landing procedures, making it an essential factor for pilots to check before conducting the final approach.