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I have flown at an airport and asked for vectors for an ILS approach in VMC for practice. But the controller refused to give me vectors and told me that I could only have a visual approach.

I got the official answer from our authorities (Ukrainian State Air Traffic Services Enterprise) that it is necessary to switch from VFR to IFR (!) to make ILS approach. But I think that no one can prohibit VFR pilots from using additional guidance, like an ILS.

Here is the answer from UkSATSE:

At your request from 07.05.2021, we would like to inform you that the approach to the instrument landing and guidance for such an approach is performed during the flight according to the rules of instrument flight (IFR). When performing a flight according to the rules of visual flights (VFR) and the need to perform a landing approach for ILS, it is necessary to switch from a flight from VFR to a flight for IFR.

Do you have any idea how we can prove that using an ILS is not prohibited for pilots when flying VFR?

Bianfable
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Stanislav Zubar
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    In the USA, I would say: Of course nothing prohibits you from following the ILS guidance on your own. But you only receive "modified IFR separation" if the controller issues a specific clearance to execute the instrument approach procedure. The controller may tell you "VFR practice approach approved, no separation services provided" which means exactly what it sounds like. Or, in busier airspace, they may not permit you to fly even a practice approach, and tell you to go somewhere else. (This would be poor service in my opinion, but you can't expect to fly an ILS into JFK in a C172.) – randomhead May 26 '21 at 18:40
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    Are you asking if Ukrainian regulations allow ILS practice approaches under VFR? Or are you asking if a VFR aircraft could technically receive and use the ILS signal? – Pondlife May 26 '21 at 18:42
  • UkSATSE may not offer “practice” instrument approaches under VFR; they’re not required to. But it’s not clear from their answer if you specifically asked about that; they may have misunderstood you as asking to perform a real ILS approach. – StephenS May 26 '21 at 19:51
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    Flying an ILS approach and just using ILS as a guidance are two very different things. The approach comes with many additional things that needs to be followed published on the approach plate. – Vladimir F Героям слава May 26 '21 at 22:23
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    There is a logical (and legal) fallacy in your last sentence: You cannot prove a negative, you could only prove that passive reception of ILS signals under VFR is prohibited if you found a rule stating this. The burden of proof is on anyone stating such a claim to produce the rule, and the rule you quoted doesn’t say this. – Michael Hall May 27 '21 at 15:47
  • It's unclear to me what kind of answer you are looking for here. You already got the officiel answer from the authorities? – 60levelchange May 28 '21 at 14:25
  • Affirm. Our officials in Ukraine wrote me a letter that for using the ILS it is necessary to switch form VFR to IFR. What does it mean? It means that they prohibited the use of radio beams  as localizer and glide slope from ILS. Funny story. But how can pilots train using ILS? And doesn't it mean that for VOR we need to switch to IFR the same? I have already written another letter where I was asked to mention a document that prohibits using the ILS approach for VFR. I'm waiting. Thank all of you for helping me with your ideas. – Stanislav Zubar May 30 '21 at 03:59

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