When using the autopilot, nav captures, including localizer captures, must be accomplished with an intercept angle of:

When using the autopilot, nav captures, including localizer captures, must be accomplished with an intercept angle of:

• A. 60 degrees or less
• B. 90 degrees or less
• C. 120 degrees or less
• D. 180 degrees or less

Answer: (B)

Intercepting navigation signals with the autopilot, including a localizer, works best when you come onto the course from within a ninety-degree arc relative to the current path. This keeps the autopilot’s capture logic stable, allowing a smooth roll onto the desired course and reliable lateral tracking without overshoot or instability. If the intercept angle is greater than ninety degrees, the nav capture may fail or behave unpredictably, requiring hand flying or a re-positioning to get within the capture window. So, the rule focuses on staying within ninety degrees to ensure reliable capture and subsequent tracking of the nav signal. Angles like 120 or 180 degrees exceed the limit and won’t guarantee capture, while a stricter 60-degree limit is technically more restrictive than necessary.

Intercepting navigation signals with the autopilot, including a localizer, works best when you come onto the course from within a ninety-degree arc relative to the current path. This keeps the autopilot’s capture logic stable, allowing a smooth roll onto the desired course and reliable lateral tracking without overshoot or instability. If the intercept angle is greater than ninety degrees, the nav capture may fail or behave unpredictably, requiring hand flying or a re-positioning to get within the capture window. So, the rule focuses on staying within ninety degrees to ensure reliable capture and subsequent tracking of the nav signal. Angles like 120 or 180 degrees exceed the limit and won’t guarantee capture, while a stricter 60-degree limit is technically more restrictive than necessary.