Hi, I was wondering this: I have been flying the 737NGX for a long time. But I recently went back to the MD-11 at little. I noticed, that the 737NGX has two very useful features on the ND, which help you in non-precision approaches (e.g. a VOR approach). Those features are the track line and the green banana on the ND. The track line is really useful for crosswind landings, if the track line points exactly on the runway on the ND, you know that you have the nose pointed in the right way. The green banana, which shows at which point the airplanes estimates you to reach the altitude you dialed in the FMC, is also very useful in VOR approaches. You just dial the runway elevation in the MCP, and the green banana (or descent arc), and just keep the green banana on the runway, and you know that you're gonna reach runway elevation at the point shown on the ND. In this way, using the track line and the green banana, you can basicly fly VOR/NDB or other non-precision approaches in fog. So I was wondering, does the MD-11 have similar features. I find the track line the most useful, but the MD-11 doesn't seem to have this on the ND. Is there maybe a way to activate a feature similar to the track line like in the 737? Or is there another way to give me similar navigation aids as the track line in the 737?Thanks in advance!

I don't think the MD-11 has the same features that the NG has.

If I recall correctly, the MD-11 displays something along the depicted route where it assumes you will level off, but it's not exactly the same as the 'green banana' of the NG.As far as flying VOR/NDB approaches goes, most people use a more stepped procedure (or descent tables, if you want to finesse it a little more) for the descent. The descent tables are listed on the inside of the cover of US NACO charts. You could also find one by googling it, as I see you're in the Netherlands and NACO charts probably aren't lying around:http://www.flightsimbooks.com/flightsimhandbook/APPENDIX_A_08_Rate_of_Descent_Table.php

Hi,Above the heading selector you have the HDG/TRK button. When you press this button you change from HDG up to TRK up on the ND. ;) John

If the ND is in HDG mode (selectable on the FCP), there's a drift angle pointer (green diamond) that points to track (it's removed when in TRK mode).No green arc exists on the MD-11. Indications on the magenta course line on the ND indicate the points where the vertical profile is expected to be joined from either above (crossed hollow circle) or below (hollow circle with label "I/P"). A cyan arrow pointing towards the magenta course line indicates the point during descent where the FCP altitude would be reached.The MD-11 has a much higher level of automation than a 737NG and the FMS is capable to automatically perform non precision approaches.Hope that helps. Have a look at the manuals, there's much information about such things in them.