AIM ¶ 7-6-18 — Automatic Landing Operations
AIM 7-6-18 explains pilot responsibilities for automatic landing operations, including system suitability, NOTAMs, ATC coordination, and ILS course protection.
AIM 7-6-18 outlines what pilots must verify and observe before and during automatic (auto-land) landing operations.
Before engaging an auto-land, you are expected to confirm that your flight control and approach guidance systems can safely fly the landing at that specific runway. Your analysis should consider:
- ILS classification code (where applicable)
- Threshold crossing height (TCH)
- Runway slope
- Pre-threshold terrain
The FAA only evaluates ground infrastructure for auto-land suitability at runways served by published CAT II, SA CAT II, and CAT III instrument approach procedures. Other runways are not vetted by the FAA for this purpose.
During planning, check NOTAMs and chart notes that could preclude an auto-land — for example, "Localizer unusable inside the threshold" or "Glide slope unusable below xxx feet."
Operationally, pilots should:
- Advise ATC of intent to conduct an automatic landing (so the localizer/glideslope critical areas can be protected)
- Stay alert to unsuitable system performance
- Be prepared to disengage the auto-land system when necessary
- Observe ILS course and glideslope distortion guidance from AIM 1-1-9k