I just taught myself the basics of the FMC, and want to land with it. But I have a few questions:How do I turn the FMC back on to navigate after getting instructions from the ATC to line up with the glideslope?How do I change the ILS settings if I get a different runway than what I first programmed?Thanks in advance!-Alex Epstein

(a) FMC must be correctly programmed with weights or you will get into trouble.Start with setting the correct runway choice:To do this, use the DEP/ARR button on the FMC and choose the Arrival section for the airport you are flying into. This will let you change your runway from whatever is currently selected to what the dimwhit ATC guy wants you to land on.Once you have set the correct runway, use the FMC INIT REF button to bring up your Approach page. This is where you will get some goodies. The ILS for the runway will be listed here and you will set what flaps speed you will be landing at. Pick your flaps setting which will lock in your Vref speed.Bring up your radio panel and dial up the ILS frequency in both nav radios. (key here! BOTH!)I will assume that the ATC guy will be wandering you around for the approach so we'll assume you are at the right altitude in hold mode and heading select mode.Once you are heading on a course that will intercept the ILS (ATC does have it's uses at times for this), Arm APP mode (APP button on the MCP). Once it captures, you'll have a message in the PFD saying single channel. Engage the other autopilot (the unlit CMD A button on the MCP).Flaps and Gear as you come in (no different then if you were hand flying). Don't forget your Vref/Arm Spoilers/AutoBrakes, etc and all the other fun stuff.Ray(as with all things, you'll forget a thing or two the first 5 times or so, but after that you will be doing it in your sleep and be wondering why they even pay pilots! :-lol)

Thanks for the help! About the programming the weights...I put in the zero weight and it changes the gross weight to something different. Does the zero weight not matter as much as the gross weight? Should I enter the correct gross weight and not worry about the zero weight? Thanks!-Alex Epstein

The weights are automatically calculated for you.Zero is simply Gross - Sensed Fuel. The Vref is based on current gross weight so as long as you set things up at the beginning of the flight, it will generate the proper speed for flap setting.If you messed with fuel inflight, make suer you go back to the PERF INIT page and reset your gross weight (can't do in reality, but there is no aerial refueling option either :-lol)Ray

Thanks! Also, I noticed the FMC doesn't put in my V1,V2, etc speeds. Somehow I got it to fill in automatically once but can't remember how anymore!

Once all the necessary data has been entered you just click each LSK to the right of the Vspeeds. The speeds will show up.

yes... i wonder where the (D) Dry and (W) Wet function went to also in the 737 FMC input for getting the relevant speeds, obviously the runway conditions affect V1 Vr and V2.