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

For a safe landing when approaching an Instrument Landing System (ILS), ensuring the Glide Slope is functional is crucial. The Glide Slope provides vertical guidance to the aircraft during the final approach, helping pilots maintain the correct descent angle to the runway. This guidance is critical, especially when visibility is low or in inclement weather conditions where visual references are minimal. A properly functioning Glide Slope allows the pilot to align the aircraft correctly with the runway's centerline and to maintain a safe descent path, thereby minimizing the risk of encountering obstacles or descending too steeply.

While operating at high speeds can lead to unsafe conditions during the approach, and maintaining visual contact with the runway may not always be possible during an ILS approach, the coordination with air traffic control, although important for overall safety and efficiency, does not directly affect the aircraft's vertical positioning during the landing phase like the Glide Slope does. Therefore, ensuring the Glide Slope is functional is the most critical aspect of safely executing an approach to the ILS.