I need Help, anyone please? S/C

[lostmoon 0]

Hi all,I am a tad bit desperate and need help with this anomaly i am experiencing with the 744's Step Climbs. I am flying the bird with the update (installed twice as an option from Capt. Randazzo to fix small periferals soon after it was released). I am a bit confused, because while cruising at say, level, 290, I never reach the automatic step climbs which the FMC computes. The strange thing is, everything seems normal up to when the FMC tells me to STEP TO at 66 NM, from there, the 66 nms keeps fluctuating, and never goes from 66 to NOW. All this while, the ETA to destination and FUEL at destination, begins to fluctuate!!My step size is ICAO, and for simplicity, I removed all weather. Am i doing something wrong? must i program a S/C inthe LEGS page?Overall, i am very satisfied with the 744, and only have this one issue that prevents me from really enjoying this product.Please help, anyone.With appreciation,Tom

[rsrandazzo 6,353]

Tom-Can you give me and idea what route your are flying?If the airplane computes that you cannot optimally make a step climb- it will remove the suggestion from the page....I've been flying the airplane on progressively longer legs and found the S/C process to be working perfectly- but it does require that weight/fuel be managed effectively.I did also find that flakiness in the MSFS weather conditions could cause some rapid changes in the S/C location- but nothing like that you describe.Let me see if I can't get Vangelis (our resident expert) to give you some pointers. I believe he's worked up a "Type Course" addition for just this purpose...

[lostmoon 0]

>Tom->>Can you give me and idea what route your are flying?>>If the airplane computes that you cannot optimally make a step>climb- it will remove the suggestion from the page....>>I've been flying the airplane on progressively longer legs and>found the S/C process to be working perfectly- but it does>require that weight/fuel be managed effectively.>>I did also find that flakiness in the MSFS weather conditions>could cause some rapid changes in the S/C location- but>nothing like that you describe.>>Let me see if I can't get Vangelis (our resident expert) to>give you some pointers. I believe he's worked up a "Type>Course" addition for just this purpose...>>Captain Randazzo,Firstly, I hope you and your team have a successful 2006. Thank you so much for replying. Just to have you know, I am very happy with your products, and I am sorry that you will inevitably encounter little questions such as these, and hopefully, your type courses will alleviate email queries to you. I also understand and have been following on the forum that you are dealing with a more menacing problem: CTDs (which I am fortunately NOT experiencing) and therefore, this anomaly may appear to be less pressing. I appreciate you taking time to respond.In response to your points in your forum reply, the FMC on all my long haul flights does indeed calculate automatic S/Cs which it indicates on the VNAV CRZ page on the ground prior to take off. After a clean T/O and further into the flight with VNAV, LNAV and A/T active and engaged controlled by the left CMD A/P, I establish my OPT flight level as indicated on the VNAV ECON CLB page which is FL310. An example would read from the VNAV CRZ page: that the a/c STEP TO FL330 (from my current OPT FL310) in 180nm. I am using 2000 as my STEP SIZE. The current CRZ ALT of FL310 is enunciated on the ACT ECON CRZ page as well as on the MCP and PFD. This is all done with all weather cleared on MSFS.As I progress more into the flight (I see the S/C clearly indicated up ahead now on the ND (from 180nm, 120nm, 80nm, 66nm etc. on ACT ECON CRZ page)) and move closer to the automatically assigned S/C while still at my OPT FL310 on the FMC, the strange event occurs when the a/c is within 66nm of her assigned S/C; the S/C point on my ND and the aircraft (the a/c, which is moving further along on its assigned magenta route) never reaches the S/C point. The S/C and the A/C never seem to get together and meet! As if the S/C point on the ND is a static point in space, never moving closer to the a/c. Furthermore, the AT indication (not auto throttle) on LSK R2 on the ACT ECON CRZ page which reads 66nm now fluctuates erratically from 66.8, 65.2, 68.8, 67.2, 66.0, 65.3, 69.2! The fluctuations appear to be arbitrary. The ETA of my destination, KSFO also fluctuates as well along estimated FUEL at destination. This is the crux of the anomaly: I never get a chance to initiate my automatic S/C, and effectively never see the word

[emvaos 13]

Tom.This should never happen. Let's see what the cause might be private.Best,Vangelis===================================== E. M. Vaos Precision Manuals Development Group www.precisionmanuals.com=====================================