Auto Land

[andrewgeorge60]

Hi everybody!!!

Im new to flight simulator and have just downloaded the 737 400 experience aircraft.  It is fitted with autoland, and was just wondering how you use it.  I can use all of the features such as approach and radios etc.  What items need to be enabled or disabled etc  please reply your help is most appreciated

[dan741749]

I don't know specifically how it is in that aircraft but in other autoland equipped aircraft all you do is set it up in the ILS approach and set the autopilot for APPR as long as you are below the glideslope.  It will follow the GS all the way in and flare a few feet AGL.  At least, this is how it is in the CRJ, PMDG 737, VC-10, and 717 that I have.

[andrewgeorge60]

Thanks for that... it will be a great help.  Is autoland used in real life situations or is it prohibited like backcourse.. I want to keep the experience as real as posible thanks

Andy

[sonic]

I want to keep the experience as real as posible thanks

Glad to hear it.

[jrpilot]

First off the runway has to be certified for the CatIII and so does the runway

[ashaman]

Which 737 experience are you talking about? Moach's one is not a series 400 but a NG, and anyway is fitted (in the 2d panel, at least) with a self explaining autoland button.

Though I never used it (autolanding just steals away the best part of the flight, IMO) there should be a working explanation in the docs folder that comes with the plane, try looking there.

[Pegase]

If you like autoland, see

http://www.dmflightsim.co.uk/

Hics VC 10 and Trident have autoland feature and highly explained in a very good documentation.

I did not try the autoland yet for the same reason as Ashaman but, simply love those 60/70 airliners and this guy made very grat work with panels sounds and all.

Just two question :
Is it normal that In some occasion, mainly when I have strong crosswind correction, the autopilot seems to "hang up" during the approach ? Then the best is disengage quickly and finish manualy.

Is autoland used in real life situations or is it prohibited like backcourse

What is backcourse  

[Pegase]

What is backcourse   ?

Just found Yvon's thread  ::) Don't bother....

[ashaman]

Is it normal that In some occasion, mainly when I have strong crosswind correction, the autopilot seems to "hang up" during the approach ? Then the best is disengage quickly and finish manualy.

That I know of, in the real aircrafts if the weather is too severe the autopilot just gives up and switches off, giving back control to manual input.

In FS I never found a situation where the AP would just give up. It just seems to freeze, all right. I found out in those few times I found windshear while landing (because FS9 can simulate this unpleasant weather fenomena all too well for my tastes ) and had to choose if to see my plane nose down sharply and land way too soon nose-first, or switching off every automatism and taking my simulated destiny into my own hands.

In those 4 maybe 5 times I found windshear I had to switch off the AP and AT manually myself -- no autokill function seems to exist -- to take control over a comatose AP, so I guess it's a design limitation of FS.

[andrewgeorge60]

hi ashaman, i know, i wouldnt like to use it that often, but i like to fly with real weather and sometimes it would be far smoother than crashing.  I didnt get any documentation and its the NG.  Do you just click the autoland button, when nav radio's and course is tuned.

when using ILS features such as approach hold, is the glideslope and decent automated to, or just the course

thanks for your help,

Andy

[Flt.Lt.Andrew]

Ask Moach.

A.

[ashaman]

When the weather doesn't allow me to go on a visual (meanie) I usually use the sole APP HOLD function (and I switch it off as soon I see the runway anyway). To use it you have to enter in NAV 1 the frequency of the ILS, ensure that the nav/gps switch is on "nav" and when both localizer and glideslope needles move away from the center press "appr", that in this plane is just under the autoland button (2d panel).

Be forewarned that the APP HOLD only brings you on the runway making the plane follow the ILS, the landing proper is in your hands as it will not flare nor cut off the engines' power for you. When about 300 feet AGL you must manually disconnect AP and AT, cut power to the engines and begin the flare, or you'll break something. Like the gear.

As for the autoland, as said before I really don't use it. I might one of these day try it out just for curiosity, like I did on almost all the other planes fitted with a full autoland I own, but I'm not holding my breath.

To learn exactly what is required to activate the autoland on this plane (could be as simple as selecting the button after having prepped the NAV 1 radio, to other more esoteric requirements [for an exaple, I have a MD80 free that wants both radios on the same frequency and both course selectors on the same radial plus the right button to activate a full hands off autoland]) you should go in the folder where this plane was installed in and open and read the subfolder "docs".

For the moment I can't really help you more than this, sorry.