Hi guys, My apologies if a similar post to this is elsewhere, but I can't find it right now and I'm pretty tired... :( Not once today have I been satisfied with the TriStars auto-land, which I was practising at PHNL and CYUL in both the -500 and the -100. The main problem is that it seems to remain under the glide-slope slightly from a point until passing over the threshold, where of course it crosses it and goes above the glide-slope, but then it takes a nose dive for the tarmac and pulls out too late making a way too hard landing, smashing the landing gear to smithereens, and crippling the nose gear coming to an abrupt stop with the nose buried deep in the runway... :( Another problem is it dives to halfway, pulls out, touches down fairly normally, and then pulls the nose up and takes a stall with the main gear still on the runway, resulting in devastation. Why?! Additionally, there's another situation I experienced where it seems to begin alright, with a fairly normal touchdown, and then the nose-wheel touches the ground... and just keeps on going down, until, once more, the plane is eating the tarmac. :( It's all very frustrating! Especially as I know I have made perfect auto-landings before, with all the latest updates! :(Anyone got any, even basic suggestions on this one?Cheers in advance

Well, that sounds pretty grim. I'd be inclined to check trim settings, landing reference speed, fuel weight and payload, flap setting for the speed you are landing at, and finally to make sure you have both autopilots engaged. Also if there were any adverse weather settings. It could be none of those things, but it might give you a few things to try.Al

Well, that sounds pretty grim. I'd be inclined to check trim settings, landing reference speed, fuel weight and payload, flap setting for the speed you are landing at, and finally to make sure you have both autopilots engaged. Also if there were any adverse weather settings. It could be none of those things, but it might give you a few things to try.Al

Mmm, OK,But I know I had only about 20 per cent fuel in the main tanks and none in the auxiliaries, payload was under the maximum (it's annoying that the default payload is overweight anyway :( ); my final airspeed was around 160 KIAS; I did not trim at all; weather was calm; although I'm not sure if I had BOTH autopilots engaged, does this really affect this model though? If not, what else could it be?Anyone else had similar problems, or any problem with the L-1011's autoland?I'll try it out again later today and see how it goes, it could just be an irritating computer/FS9 hiccup.Thanks ChockPS: I don't know if it's just me but actually engaging the a/l seems to be difficult, even intermittent where sometimes it just doesn't engage at all, there's little description of it officially so how exactly do you engage the autoland on the L-1011?

I really don't know the exact procedure, I guess it would depend to some extent on what L-1011 it was (they got a seriously revised cockpit some years after their initial production, to make them more automated with a two man (or two woman) crew. I should imagine you get the course bugs on the runway heading, tune both nav radios to the ILS frequency, turn the flight directors on, hit LOC, line it up and hit APP when you get to just under the glideslope, then engage both A/P channels at about 1,000 feet.I have occasionally had problems with the autothrottle on the AeroSim DC-8, with it refusing to disengage above 26,000 feet. I had to shut down two engines to descend in order to get it to disengage, and I was initially thinking I'd have to land on one inboard engine with the autothrottle on full tilt, which might have been a challenge, but fortunately the autothrottle unstuck at 26,000 as I was desperately working out a plan on how to do a single engine full throttle approach into Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport!Al

I really don't know the exact procedure, I guess it would depend to some extent on what L-1011 it was (they got a seriously revised cockpit some years after their initial production, to make them more automated with a two man (or two woman) crew. I should imagine you get the course bugs on the runway heading, tune both nav radios to the ILS frequency, turn the flight directors on, hit LOC, line it up and hit APP when you get to just under the glideslope, then engage both A/P channels at about 1,000 feet.I have occasionally had problems with the autothrottle on the AeroSim DC-8, with it refusing to disengage above 26,000 feet. I had to shut down two engines to descend in order to get it to disengage, and I was initially thinking I'd have to land on one inboard engine with the autothrottle on full tilt, which might have been a challenge, but fortunately the autothrottle unstuck at 26,000 as I was desperately working out a plan on how to do a single engine full throttle approach into Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport!Al

Oooh nasty,Hopefully it won't get that bad! :( Unfortunately I really cocked up an approach yesterday and so was unable to test the A/l properly but i'll give it another go later and take some of your advice. Keep you posted...

I know from my limited experience with the AS 1011's autoland that it's a bit sensitive, so you have to be stabilized on the ILS (or at least the localizer) before engaging. I saw a tip somewhere that a little nose-up trim on final helps with the flare, and that's worked for me. Otherwise, I'm afraid I'm not much help.

I know from my limited experience with the AS 1011's autoland that it's a bit sensitive, so you have to be stabilized on the ILS (or at least the localizer) before engaging. I saw a tip somewhere that a little nose-up trim on final helps with the flare, and that's worked for me. Otherwise, I'm afraid I'm not much help.

OK, cool, thanks PittsS2B, that sounds like a good idea. I did try the other day landing it again on some circuits, and I had more luck than before, but, I did not use the trim, so I shall use the trim next time and report back on hopefully my total success. :( (It's all probably just me being over-sensitive, and, as usual, not doing things as they should be done... :( )Cheers

I've tried the autoland on the Tristar just a few hours ago, and it worked pretty well. Touch down was as soft as a baby's bottom. I did have both A/Ps engaged and I trimmed up a bit for a better flare. How are you getting on now with that autoland? Still problems?