Hi,

 

There's a confusing situation for me while trying to program the FMC to let the bird fly an approach. Probably it's just me doing it all wrong.. So maybe you guys can help me out a little bit.

After I program all the waypoints the plane has to fly to I want to let it fly an approach automatically so I don't have to fly it manually and look for the runway myself. Then I push the departure/arrival button on the FMC, and select the ILS for the runway I want to land on. The result of that action that a "route discontinuity" appears after the last waypoint and then I have to fly the approach manually to finally line up with the runway. What am I doing wrong? It's the only thing I can't seem to figure out.

 

I hope this explanation makes sense..

The route discontinuity happens when your last entered waypoint isn't the same as the first waypoint of the approach you have selected, if the transition is the same then there is no discontinuity. It is very normal and to fix it just press the left LSK (Line Select Key, the keys on the side of the CDU) on the CDU of the the waypoint below the discontinuity (usually the first waypoint of the approach) which will place it in the scratchpad and overwrite the discontinuity with it (LSK of the discontinuity), execute it and it will remove the discontinuity.

I recommend very highly to look at the approach and arrival charts for the procedures you are flying. Often procedures have a radar vectoring segment. On those segments ATC is supposed to vector you to intercept the loc or perhaps vectors you to a fix. Other procedures lets the pilot fly the entire route in vnav / lnav. Its critical for flying that you know how the procedure youre flying is. Infact, I would say that it is critical to be able to know how to fly a specific procedure manually without using the autopilot / FMC at all. Being a "slave to the magenta" is unfortunately a very big problem among novice simmers. Instead of jumping in trying to fly a complex airliners without really knowing the basics of aviation people should start flying small simple planes that forces the pilot to learn the procedures instead of just knowing how to program an autopilot.

Being a "slave to the magenta" is unfortunately a very big problem among novice simmers. Instead of jumping in trying to fly a complex airliners without really knowing the basics of aviation people should start flying small simple planes that forces the pilot to learn the procedures instead of just knowing how to program an autopilot.

 

I agree 100%.