Simviation Forums

Okay, I want to clear something up after all these years.  To date, my auto-pilot assisted landings constitute basic navlock on the ILS frequency with me handling altitude through throttle, flap, and trim adjustments.  It works just fine, I usually dis-engage at 200 AGL and grab the yoke.  Now, I finally want to learn to make the A/P handle my descent profile.  I know I need on the A/P nav, apr, and altitude set.  Now, I want to clear up that with the A/P alt engaged what do I enter for hold and vertical speed??  Or nothing.  That's what I don't know. Alt with no values entered?? It will just take it's cues from the glideslope?

All I do is dial in the ILS freq and turn on the APPR on the AP.  Your altitude might waver a little until it intercepts the glideslope, but it should pick it up and follow it straight in.

I hope this is good enough

Nothing.  Your vertical speed will be whatever it takes to stay on glideslope.  Just make sure you intercept it from below.

NOTE:  It will not always pick up the glideslope, even on full ILS runways(this is an FSism)!  If it doesn't, make sure you grabe the yoke and manually control the descent.

Example with the PMDG 737
Say you have been cleared to 2100' for an ILS approach. You dial in 2100' on the MCP, adjust Heading select so you can intercept the LOC. Also arm VOR LOC.
Flaps should be at 5, speed roughly 180kts. ILS freq. inserted in both NAV radios

When the LOC becomes alive you can select the APP mode, it will engage when the G/S is 1 dot above (APP handles both LOC and G/S). Heading select should be the same as the runway's magnetic heading, in case of a Go Around (A/P will disengage, and FD will have Heading select as lateral mode). Same value should be set in the Course window(s) obviously

When both VOR LOC and G/S is diplayed in green on the FMA, select the altitude for the missed approach holding pattern if you are going missed.

Now for a complete automatic landing you MUST make use of all autopilots available. In the 737 it means that AP A and AP B will both be engaged. If not, the message "single channel" is diplayed on the PFD, reminding you that you are in no condition for an autoland. The FD does not have a flare mode, so you can't fly a CAT II/III landing guided by visual cues from the FD

If some things are still unclear, just ask  :)

Okay, I'll set up a few go around flights with the NG and several other planes and give it a try.  It would be especially handy for me with my RFP 742  and my SGA DC-10 with the Dale Britton panel.  It seems my my touchiest landings are always with the heavier birds.  Lighter birds much easier.  I like autoland in the F1 DC-9.  trim her out right, get on the glideslope right, idle the power and she tracks right down.  I love the way that DC-9 flies, you can do anything with her.  I wonder if realworld 9's are that good, I heard they do really fly well.  

they are stable birds, because of the long arm from CG to the rudder...the reason why the 737's have a dorsal fin.
But that is as much as I know about the DC-9