Hello all. I am hoping someone can help me understand the autoflight system on the MD-11. Once I get up to cruise altitude and autoflight is all good to go, I sometimes like to hand fly her. Now I have the elevator/aileron/rudder A/P Controls Override Option set to "Always." When the autoflight system is still enabled, and I move the controls to a certain point, the aircraft responds appropriately. However when I DISENGAGE the autoflight system to hand fly, I have pretty much no control over the aircraft. If I HOLD the AP Disengage switch I have full control of the aircraft. I have been trying to find something explaining this behavior in the manual but I have been unable to.MD-11 with all updates, FSX SP2.Thanks for any help.Nick Mathews

Other than the LSAS (stability augmentation) she should fly like a big plane. What do you mean no control? Sounds bad, I have images in my head of something from toonville.

Just as a potential point of information, the MD-11, as many such aircraft, are never flown manually at cruise altitudes in RVSM airspace, not to my knowledge (although that is EXTREMELY limited in real terms...) I believe you would be busting the altitude constraints all the time... +/-300ft...)So you really want to be kicking on the AP a little earlier than at cruise...What you describe though is really bizarre. I would need to test the scenario to see exactly what you mean...I agree with you Dan, sounds bad... controller issue???Andrew

Now I have the elevator/aileron/rudder A/P Controls Override Option set to "Always."

Well, I have the same setting and never have a problem. I'm assuming you double press/click your disconnect button (e.g., "z") and first get the aural warning and then silence? In other words, you're sure the A/P is off? As others point out, hand-flying isn't super realistic, but it is a simulator. Depending on my mood, I'll fly through a few waypoints before letting the A/P hold the cruise for me or, as I've been doing more recently, engage the A/P at 500AGL A/P and let the profile FMS do a lot of the management of the bird, which I think is a pretty neat approach (as compared to the Boeing approach).

Well, I have the same setting and never have a problem. I'm assuming you double press/click your disconnect button (e.g., "z") and first get the aural warning and then silence? In other words, you're sure the A/P is off? As others point out, hand-flying isn't super realistic, but it is a simulator. Depending on my mood, I'll fly through a few waypoints before letting the A/P hold the cruise for me or, as I've been doing more recently, engage the A/P at 500AGL A/P and let the profile FMS do a lot of the management of the bird, which I think is a pretty neat approach (as compared to the Boeing approach).

Thank you all for the replies, I appreciate it. Trust me, I am fully aware that it is not super realistic, however systems fail in reality, so it is not impossible that someone would have to hand fly at that altitude. Also, this is a great opportunity to get a feel for the aircraft. While it may been flown often on autopilot to the point of 100 feet AGL before touchdown, you still have to hand fly during the touchdown. How can you make a good touchdown/landing if you only hand fly the aircraft during landing? Thats probably a mere 30 sec to 1 min of hand flying. So, 5 flights equals 5 min of actual hand flying. And, this aircraft has had plenty of accidents during landing due to its instability caused by a more aft than normal CG, smaller horizontal stabilizer and vertical stabilizer: http://www.airlinesafety.com/faq/faq9.htmYes, first I click disconnect, and I get the red box on the PFD then I press disconnect again and the box turns white. Trust me on this one, it is most certainly not a controller issue. I can yank back and forth on the elevator and I watch it move full back and forth in the Virtual Cockpit. If I hold the AP Disconnect switch I have full control. I am using FSUIPC for my controllers, perhaps that is an issue?Thank youNick Mathews

you still have to hand fly during the touchdown.

No you don't since the plane is equipped with autoland capabilities. But the plane does have to be hand flown on takeoff and usually on the initial climb aswell.Kevin W

No you don't since the plane is equipped with autoland capabilities. But the plane does have to be hand flown on takeoff and usually on the initial climb aswell.Kevin W

From what I can remember, an FAA regulation says that you have to hand fly to touchdown, but I could be wrong. Either way it is a moot point. Any pilot who is going to always let the autopilot do the flying is setting himself/herself up for failure.

Doesn't sound like a pilot to me. Automation is great! I love automation when wx is bad, traffic heavy, ATC working hard.

Doesn't sound like a pilot to me. Automation is great! I love automation when wx is bad, traffic heavy, ATC working hard.

Agreed. But I do stuff sans automation in the sim that I would never, ever do in real life. That's part of the fun.

Doesn't sound like a pilot to me. Automation is great! I love automation when wx is bad, traffic heavy, ATC working hard.

Of course it is! You have to be able to hand fly an aircraft lest the autoflight systems fail! Anyways, this is not the point of the topic. Perhaps if everyone wants to continue discussing that topic someone will start another topic for it? Has anyone else tried to hand fly at cruise altitude?Nick Mathews

Alright, I was a little wrong on my first post. Lets start over. On takeoff I have roll and pitch control until enabling profile and navigation. If I try to override the autoflight system I can. Now, regardless of what flight phase I am in if I hit the autoflight disconnect button I get the red box surrounding the altitude window and I get the autopilot aural warning. I hit the button once more to clear the warning and disconnect the autoflight system and the red box surrounding the altitude window turns yellow then white. The autoflight system no longer maintains flight. I can roll left and right freely but I cannot pitch up or down regardless of how far back I pull it. Now, if I hold the autoflight disconnect button the white box surrounding the altitude window turns yellow and I have pitch control. If I release the button, the yellow box surrounding the altitude window turns back to white and I no longer have pitch control.-Nick Mathews

Alright, I was a little wrong on my first post. Lets start over. On takeoff I have roll and pitch control until enabling profile and navigation. If I try to override the autoflight system I can. Now, regardless of what flight phase I am in if I hit the autoflight disconnect button I get the red box surrounding the altitude window and I get the autopilot aural warning. I hit the button once more to clear the warning and disconnect the autoflight system and the red box surrounding the altitude window turns yellow then white. The autoflight system no longer maintains flight. I can roll left and right freely but I cannot pitch up or down regardless of how far back I pull it. Now, if I hold the autoflight disconnect button the white box surrounding the altitude window turns yellow and I have pitch control. If I release the button, the yellow box surrounding the altitude window turns back to white and I no longer have pitch control.

Nick,holding down the disconnect button disables LSAS as long as you keep the button pressed. So for whatever reason it is LSAS that blocks your elevator input whenever it is active. It shouldn't do that obviously and I have no idea why it does that. Have you tried to play with the LSAS sensitivity slider in the PMDG menu to see if this makes any difference?Markus

Nick,holding down the disconnect button disables LSAS as long as you keep the button pressed. So for whatever reason it is LSAS that blocks your elevator input whenever it is active. It shouldn't do that obviously and I have no idea why it does that. Have you tried to play with the LSAS sensitivity slider in the PMDG menu to see if this makes any difference?Markus

Thank you very much Markus! The LSAS sensitivity slider did the trick! And, I learned more about the MD-11. If you hold down the disconnect button it disables LSAS. Thank you so much!-Nick Mathews

I must be stupid somehow, but what "(autoflight) disconnect button" do you mean exactly? I'd like to know how to temporarily disable LSAS without switching autoflight off, too.Andreas

I must be stupid somehow, but what "(autoflight) disconnect button" do you mean exactly? I'd like to know how to temporarily disable LSAS without switching autoflight off, too.Andreas

Autoflight = Autopilot, disconnect button. Its on the yoke. You will disable autoflight by pressing the button twice. You can assign a key to the function in the PMDG menu.