george[flytampa] wrote:

Did anyone figure out what causes the autopilot disconnect? I recently discovered it while testing with the PMDG NGX for a customer. Each time I autoland on on 21L, around 800-700ft, the AP drops out of AIII & hits the threshold hard.

 

I said that I would ask here so... Anyway, that was one of the producers from FlyTampa and I think it is a PMDG problem.

First I've ever heard of this.

 

The only way scenery could possibly be involved in affecting the autopilot is if the ILS beam/transmitter are somehow out of position, non-standard etc. I don't have the scenery so I can't test for sure but someone should open it and look in ADE or whatever and see where it's positioned.

I fly into Athens alot and i don't have this problem but i will look out for it just incase.. Steve

DId you dial in the ILS frequency on both radios?

Did you arm both auto-pilots?

Did you get a flare arm notice?

Did you perhaps touch the trim?

I always land manual. I get the ils to set up the approach and line her up then i will disengage the AP @ about 500 FT

 

So i can't really answer that fella ...

 

Regards Steve

Yeh i fly to Fly Tampa's Athens quite a bit and never experienced that sort of thing.

 

But like inny said, i land her manually too disengaging the AP around 5nm from touchdown

Edited May 17, 201214 yr by christos

Yeah i have to admit this i use to use ils all the way but not now i really enjoy landing her for the last part and im pretty sure they do this in the real world... correct that if im wrong/

Nah i'd say you're right there Steve mate, its good practise weather permitting.

Fly the thang ya sumbishes.. :Hypnotized:

george[flytampa] wrote:

Did anyone figure out what causes the autopilot disconnect? I recently discovered it while testing with the PMDG NGX for a customer. Each time I autoland on on 21L, around 800-700ft, the AP drops out of AIII & hits the threshold hard.

 

 

I said that I would ask here so... Anyway, that was one of the producers from FlyTampa and I think it is a PMDG problem.

 

I did several auto lands at Athens including 21L. Never had any problems.

Sorry, I can't help you.

 

Eric

Flew that scenery recently with Aegean 737-600, ILS auto all the way, no issues.

Yeah i have to admit this i use to use ils all the way but not now i really enjoy landing her for the last part and im pretty sure they do this in the real world... correct that if im wrong/

 

Every company has a policy regarding auto landing. You are supposed to do at least one a month at most airlines, just to practice and stay current. But if you can see the runway when capturing the localizer, you almost always are landing manually. Disconnecting at 500 feet is only in very bad weather with low vis but no cat3 autoland. You would disconnect much sooner in real life.

If everyone here's not having issues then I suspect George isn't setting something up right with the plane then. (ask him to submit a ticket - we're big fans of his airport design work here, I'll be happy to help him figure it out)

If everyone here's not having issues then I suspect George isn't setting something up right with the plane then. (ask him to submit a ticket - we're big fans of his airport design work here, I'll be happy to help him figure it out)

 

Ok, I am now.

Been testing for some time all four approaches and the two 21s seem to have an issue. I am not really sure it's the NGX or the scenery, as both 03 approaches seem to be ok and the plane follows the glideslope as expected.

 

However in both 21 approaches there's a point right above some low hills that are circa 3 miles from the threshold where there's a sudden increase of thrust and then the AP seems to go higher than the glideslope, then dives steeply (c. 1300 fpm) to capture it again till it disconnects...

 

Is there any chance that there's some kind of updraft effect when the plane passes over these hills, that destabilises the approach? What troubles me is that this appears even when flying manually, like a step down the glideslope.. It's quite weird!