B737-500 CREW BEGAN APCH TO SKA INSTEAD OF GEG.

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THIS WAS A CAPT UPGRADE (UOE) EVENT. I WAS THE CHK AIRMAN IN THE R SEAT; WHILE THE UPGRADE PLT WAS IN THE L SEAT; FLYING. DURING DSCNT INTO SPOKANE (GEG); GND NOT IN SIGHT BECAUSE OF OVCST; WE WERE VECTORED ON A DOWNWIND LEG. I WAS DISTRACTED BY NOT BEING ABLE TO CONTACT COMPANY TO GET OUR GATE; DESPITE NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS. APCH VECTORED US ON A DOGLEG TO BASE; AND GAVE US FURTHER DSCNT. WE BROKE INTO THE CLR; AND I SAW A RWY; ASKING THE PLT IF HE WANTED TO CALL THE FIELD IN SIGHT. I TOLD APCH; AND WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 21 AND TO CONTACT TWR. THE PF CONFIGURED TO FLAPS 5 DEGS; LNDG GEAR DOWN; AND ROLLED TOWARDS FINAL. TWR CLRED US TO LAND; AND WE CONTINUED; ALSO ASKING IF THEY COULD CONTACT COMPANY TO FIND OUT OUR GATE FOR US. IT WAS ABOUT THAT TIME I REALIZED THE ILS COURSE WAS NOT APCHING CTR ON THE HSI WITH THE RWY ALMOST LINED UP. WE BOTH REALIZED WE WERE LINED UP WITH FAIRCHILD AFB. AT THE SAME MOMENT; TWR CALLED OUT. I TOLD THE PLT TO CONTINUE THE R TURN BACK TO DOWNWIND; AND THEN TOLD TWR THAT WE WERE DOING TO LAND AT GEG. THEY SAID NO PROB; CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 21. I CALLED LATER TO TALK TO THE TWR SUPVR; AND HE SAID THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO PROB OR TFC CONFLICT. ALSO SAYS IT HAPPENS QUITE OFTEN TO HAVE FAIRCHILD AFB MISTAKEN FOR GEG WITH THE SAME RWY ALIGNMENT AND EASIER TO SEE LARGER RWY. IT'S ALSO MENTIONED TO BE AWARE OF IT IN OUR CHARTS. I FAULT MYSELF FOR BEING DISTRACTED ABOUT THE LACK OF COMPANY CONTACT PRIOR TO LNDG; AND DURING THE PF IN THE L SEAT TO CALL THE ARPT VISUALLY AFTER I MISTAKENLY LOOKED AT FAIRCHILD AFB; ESPECIALLY SINCE I HAVE FLOWN INTO GEG DOZENS OF TIMES IN THE PAST YR OR TWO. HAD I NOT JUST LOOKED AT A RWY; BUT TAKEN IN THE ENTIRE FIELD; IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASY TO SEE THE LARGE RAMP WITH NUMEROUS ACFT; THE BASE COMPLEX; AND LACK OF THE 2 RED AND WHITE CHECKERBOARD TWRS THAT WERE MISSING (AN EASILY IDENTIFIABLE LANDMARK AT GEG). I RESOLVE TO BE MORE VIGILANT IN DISCERNING THE PROPER FIELD WHEN CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 581694: WE BEGAN THE LNDG CONFIGN PROCESS WHILE IN THE R TURN TO BASE AND FINAL. THE ADF WAS USELESS BECAUSE WE BELIEVED WE WERE TURNING INSIDE IT. WE DIDN'T CONSULT THE FMC BECAUSE WE WERE NOW ON A VISUAL APCH AND I WAS TRYING TO MAINTAIN SIGHT OF THE AIRFIELD; WHICH WAS TOUGH BECAUSE OF THE WINDOW CONFIGN OF THE B737. THE ILS WAS SHOWING L OFF COURSE; WHICH DIDN'T MAKE SENSE. WE KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG; AND WERE VERIFYING THAT FACT. HERE IS THE CHAIN THAT; IF BROKEN; WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS FROM OCCURRING: 1) THE DISTR WITH TRYING TO CONTACT COMPANY WAS AN UNNECESSARY ANNOYANCE. 2) IF APCH HAD LET US DOWN A LITTLE EARLIER; WE WOULD HAVE SEEN THE TOWN; THE BASE; AND OTHER FEATURES THAT MIGHT HAVE ALLOWED BETTER ARPT IDENT. 3) THE FACT THAT THE VOR IS NOT ON THE AIRFIELD MIGHT HAVE CONTRIBUTED; SINCE MOST OF OUR DESTS DO HAVE VORS ON THE FIELD. IT WOULD HAVE PROVIDED MORE POSITIVE ORIENTATION. 4) THE NF HAD THE ILS TUNED FOR THE ILS TO RWY 3. THIS PROVIDED US DME; BUT IN THIS SIT WAS A FACTOR; SINCE THE RWY WE SAW APPEARED TO BE THE PROPER DME. 5) WHILE WE HAD THE PROPER APCH PROGRAMMED INTO THE FMC; WE DISREGARDED ITS GUIDANCE; SINCE WE KNEW WE WERE LOOKING AT THE RIGHT RWY. 6) IF APCH HAD TURNED US LOOSE WITH A 'YOU'RE 4 MI N OF THE ARPT; CONTACT THE TWR...' THAT MIGHT HAVE MADE US RECONSIDER. BOTTOM LINE: OUR FAULT; NOT ANYONE ELSE'S.