How do we activate the Auto Pilot?

[Guest cliffie1931]

The Auto Pilot panel (as shown in the attachment) appears to be dead. Please.............how do I activate it?Cliff

[Shmiffy 0]

Hi Cliff;Instead of opening Glareshield from your instrument views, open FCP or Flight Control Panel (what a Boeing user would know as MCP).That will sort your problem out.The Glareshield is essentially only useful for 'EFIS' type functions. CheersPaul

[Guest cliffie1931]

That's just what I need to know Paul. ThanksMay I ask you to expand a little please? I've been able to activate the height instructions but can't fathom out how to activate either heading or speed. You'll see from the attachment with this reply that both heading and speed are entered but the aircraft hasn't followed these requirements.Is the solution as easy?I thought I'd licked the learning curve of "The Queen".........but I'm sure back into a new curve with this MD-11.Regards..............Cliff in sunny Spain

[Shmiffy 0]

Hi Cliff:The MD11 is a little more 'airbus like' in its operation. Well...Actually airbus are a bit more 'McDonnell Douglas' like in their operation but that's another story! (Ever wonder where all those engineers and designers went after the management buried the company?) :)To activate the inputs to the FCP then, you need to place your mouse over the input knob for whatever function you are looking to activate until it looks like a flat hand. Then right click to essentially 'pull' the knob out. The aircraft will then fly to the Speed, Hdg, or Altitude that you have overriden the FMS with. A Left Click (or a Push) will assign the CURRENT hdg, speed, altitude, to the FCP window as appropriate. To reactivate FMS control, hit the FMS SPD, NAV, or PROF buttons, for whichever mode you are wanting to activate.CheersPaul

[Guest cliffie1931]

What a blast to get it working for the first time!I'm somewhat hesitant to ask another question but I hope you'l bear with me.I'm bound for runway 27L at Heathrow. I want to make an automatic landing down the ILS of 109.50. I have the radio stack on the screen in the attachment but can't figure out how to enter the 109.50 and activate from there on.If it's a simple answer I'd be grateful to learn it. If not I'll again search through the Manuals and try to find the answer myself.I haven't had as much fun since learning to fly many moons ago on Tiger Moths, Chipmonks and Piper Cruisers. but, I suppose, that dates me somewhat.Regards............Cliff

[Guest PPSFA]

The FMC auto-tunes the freqs within 25 miles as I recall, but you can also input the freq/radial manually using the 'NAV/Rad' button. JayXPPro SP2FSX SP2AMD64 FX-60 Dual Core 2.61 GHz8800GTS-640 megs2 Gigs Kingston RAMFEX-GEX-UTUSA-FSGenesis-and a bunch of other stuffComputer optimized by www.fs-gs.com

[Shmiffy 0]

Hi Cliff:Manual tuning of an ILS can be done as followsFRQ/CRSSo for your example of 27L at EGLL109.50/272 into the scratchpad, then upselect to the LSK for the ILS.The course is from memory though, it could be 273?CheersPaul

[Guest cliffie1931]

My thanks to you Paul. And to you too Jay. This assistance from Forum Members is part of what makes our hobby so much of a pleasure.I hope I can do the same for others in the not too distant future.Regards...............Cliff

[Guest cliffie1931]

Presumably I should have entered the destination in addition to the ILS frequency as the message reads "No destination" ?Where should it be entered?(See the attachment)Cliff

[Guest PPSFA]

Yes you need to program the route into the FMC first. My normal procedure is to load the flight plan, then check destination weather to get my landing runway. Once you know that, select a waypoint prior to your destination, click the button next to it and on the next page select 'STAR'. That will give you a list of available runways and approaches, select yours, then insert it. Now scroll the FP and remove any discontinuties. You can select 'PLAN' mode and step through the plan to ensure all is as it should be, and make any adjustments needed. I routinely add/delete waypoints depending on the direction of flight, the wind, runway etc.Hope this helps JayXPPro SP2FSX SP2AMD64 FX-60 Dual Core 2.61 GHz8800GTS-640 megs2 Gigs Kingston RAMFEX-GEX-UTUSA-FSGenesis-and a bunch of other stuffComputer optimized by www.fs-gs.com

[Guest cliffie1931]

Do I understand you correctly that the only way to fly an ILS glide slope automatically is to load the FMC with a complete Flight Plan?Or can we make a manual landing WITHOUT the FMC yet use the ILS frequency to follow the relevant glide slope ourselves?Regards............Cliff

[Guest PPSFA]

You can just disconnect the AP if you want to fly it manually, like any other plane

[Guest cliffie1931]

Hey, Jay.............I've just noticed that your computer has been optimimised by "Graphic Solutions". That brought back memories of working with Michael some two, or perhaps, three years ago. He made such a good job of my machine that I wrote him a letter of commendation and I see it's still on his site amongst the testimonials and under the name of C.P. Harris.Regards...........Cliff

[Guest PPSFA]

Yup, 2 1/2 yo system and runs FSx better than most new ones tks to FS-GS :-)

[Check_Airman 3]

>You can just disconnect the AP if you want to fly it manually, like >any other planeSurely you jest! You mean that PILOTS are actually expected to FLY the plane!? With their bare HANDS?! No autopilot!?!?A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY!!!