I am having trouble with climb to altitude in the PMDG MD-11. Try as I might nothing seems to work to get the MD-11 back on profile. I have read the FMS manual with regard to Vertical revision, checked out the forum here and I am still stuck. I get "Out of Range" msgs on the FMS if I try to set the next waypoint to an altitude only a couple of thousand feet higher than my current height so obviously thats not the way to do it. No amount of pushing and pulling on the Altitude Knob or pushing the "Prof " button works so I assume there is some FMS programming to do but how? I would like to get a magenta altitude reading above the altitude tape that reflects the flight planned profile next altitude step. However getting the Flt Plan Page back to how it was before take off seems impossible. I realise that if I have spent some time not climbing then it would probably not be possible to attain the heights set for the closest waypoints but there must be someway to get the STAR and preceding waypoints before that back.In the enclosed picture I am trying to climb to my flight planned altitude of FL340, (the plan is messed up already with FLs way above that). I can manually set heights using the altitude knob but my problem is getting the Prof to work again. I dont seem to be able to amend the ACT-FLT PLN at this point.I hope I havent made this sound too confusing and I can elaborate if necessary. I do have all the nice manuals (air freighted from PMDG) but still could use a bit of assistance.Although I am still in the climb, pushing PERF only gives me Descent options.Peter Coveney

OK. I have made some progress and as you can see I have amended the flight plan using the correct LSK in VERT REV. However the next problem was that Magenta "HOLD" icon. Remembering back to the tutorial I reset the Altitude knob to 4000 foot and everything was back on track. I hope that this post helps anyone else stuck at the point. Hopefully my next flight will be a bit more coordinated. CheersPeter

OK. I have made some progress and as you can see I have amended the flight plan using the correct LSK in VERT REV. However the next problem was that Magenta "HOLD" icon. Remembering back to the tutorial I reset the Altitude knob to 4000 foot and everything was back on track. I hope that this post helps anyone else stuck at the point. Hopefully my next flight will be a bit more coordinated. CheersPeter

Peter: what FL is set on the INIT page? Type a "1" there to get the present FL.Why do you have FL 320 at position "BOLOD"? Clear that and you should be able to get PROF mode.Tom M

I was unware of the INIT page option. I will look at that next flight. Regarding The BOLOD waypoint I was just playing around trying to get the aircraft to descend. How do I clear that BOLOD entry?Re-reading the tutorial I see the instruction is to set the altitude to SID restricted height but to neither push nor pull the knob. If I accidently push or pull the knob what should I then do to avoid the messing up of my profile?Peter

I was unware of the INIT page option. I will look at that next flight. Regarding The BOLOD waypoint I was just playing around trying to get the aircraft to descend. How do I clear that BOLOD entry?Re-reading the tutorial I see the instruction is to set the altitude to SID restricted height but to neither push nor pull the knob. If I accidently push or pull the knob what should I then do to avoid the messing up of my profile?Peter

Just press "CLR" and then press on the right LSK of BOLOD.If you pull/ push the ALT know it will get you out of the PROF mode. If you are in PROF, i.e. flying an SID, just turn the ALT knob to the next cleared ALT, do NOT pull/ push it. To get back to PROF, just press the PROF button again and or reenter the FL on the INIT pageIf you have ALT constraints in the STAR and they are programmed in the FMS database, you turn the ALT to the next lower ALT and the Auto Pilot will follow it.

I always thought that when you load a SID or a STAR into the FMS the height for each waypoint in the procedure was automatically followed by the VNAV function of the autopilot if the aircraft was in Profile mode. Do we enter the heights in the altitude window as standby in case of failure perhaps?Peter Coveney

I always thought that when you load a SID or a STAR into the FMS the height for each waypoint in the procedure was automatically followed by the VNAV function of the autopilot if the aircraft was in Profile mode. Do we enter the heights in the altitude window as standby in case of failure perhaps?Peter Coveney

If you dont change the value in the ALT window while in PROF mode, nothing will happen.Until you run out of fuel of course :( Tom M

I am a little lost in your problem description, where you talk about climbing the ND shows the VNAV descent indicator.Have you flown the tutorial? It is highly recommended.

Why is the vertical deviation indicator displayed on the ND if you're trying to climb? It means the FMS is in DESCENT mode. You have to read the documentation thoroughly before attempting to use the complex systems on the MD11.Paul

You are right about complex. There are over one thousand pages of text that come with this simulation. Plus the documentation that comes with Flight Operations Center, FS2Crew that is a heap of reading. I have flown the PMDG tutorial a couple of times and the FS2Crew for MD-11 twice and am managing to get from departure to destination but it will take a while before I can start flying with failures on or try a VATSIM trip. The FMS is a course in itself. I was unaware it has climb and descent mode indication on the ND so more study on that required. As for the OUT OF RANGE and FORMAT ERRORs I suppose it will all make more sense once I have read and understood the manual for FMS (I hope).To answer the query about the FMS being in descent mode - in the second picture I had actually made it up to my top altitude and was experimenting with coming down to a lower height.ie from FL340 to FL320 (from memory.)Thanks for the help so far. I am sure I will have more to ask soon.Peter