Hey folks,

 

Just a bit of curiosity here - to my surprise, I have been getting more and more into tubeliners lately after years of single/twin-engine (piston and turboprop), GA, short-hop commercial and bush flying, with my weapon of choice being the QW757. This plane is a great compromise for me, as it has a bit of systems depth to it (startup, shutdown, lite FMC but with VNAV/LNAV, and what feels like a decent flight model to me for a jet this size), and the FSX performance is reasonable on my 2 and half year old, but middle of the road machine (i7 Bloomfiled 2.8Ghz running  non-HT, 4Gb ram, 1Gb ATI) as it runs a pretty solid locked 24FPS, except for all the "heavy weight places" you'd expect, and this is with AccuFeel, REX weather and over "very dense" or better ORBX scenery...

 

...now to the crux of the question, with ATC "in control", and IFR FMC flight plans in play - how much time do you actually spend hand-flying? I have gotten proficient enough to go from point A to point B, ILS land etc. with no drama, but feel like I must be missing the real challenge of mastering these things since flying from 0-1000' AGL, and then 1000-0'AGL is all the time I spend in hands-on control of the aircraft. Given that I have been told, read and been fortunate enough to have even seen (back in the pre 911 days), that this is pretty much how it happens in real life, do you guys indulge in anything more than this?

 

As a side note, I am considering moving my current box to a "support role" running the weather engine and having reference material up etc., and building as powerful an FSX box as I can (which fortunately right now I have a very good budget for), because I am considering  moving to a PMDG based Boeing, but with so much of the time in these things being spent as a "systems monitor" I am questioning whether or not I would appreciate the differences overall in the PMDG vs. the QW.

 

I know I have sort of gone all over the map here, but any input you have would be appreciated...

 

Regards,

 

Chris B.

aka "Flapsdown"

Interesting topic. When I fly tubeliners, I typically fly them out of the SID, and then turn on the autopilot. This happens in the late FL200's. On descent, the AP comes off at FL150. It is dependent on the situation, however. If I am given vectors on VATSIM, for example, I tend to leave the AP connected and take care of the flying. Same if I am given radar vectored departures, or flying into an unfamiliar airport. When on approach, I typically disconnect both AP and AT. (It's more fun ) When flying GA, I rarely use the AP. I'd rather trim it properly to the extent where I can be hands-off. I love the PMDG 777's flight dynamics, and haven't experienced any dodgey behavior that others are describing. It's a real beast! I probably won't be flying much else the next couple of days (months?) ^_^

That's a preference of a pilot and company SOP. In simulator, I like to fly raw data if that SID/STAR is available, for example Male has that beautiful DME ARC I prefer over RNAV. Cruise is under AP command, although sometimes I like to fly concorde manually at M 2.0, that's how some captains flied her, but unfortunately, it's to busy to do that when work for 3 men. In climb I tend to use AT because unless there is problematic SID, like that one in KJFK via canarsie (with restrictions) there is no movement off throttle levers anyway. in approach, switch off AP and AT at the same time.

Because of the Nature of this thread you will get more hand fliers responding, after all there is no Glamour in replying with , I hit the landing gear lever up and autopilot together.

 

For me there is no prefered method except if Im taking off from a top quality payware airport and surrounds in stunning opus clouds, then it will be autopilot asap so I can sit back and enjoy the scenery.

I used to go with auto pilot with the gear. Hehe. But since the last 3 months I have been handflying 0-5000 or 10 000ft. And then when LOC is captured and I tend to take over conttrols. First with the 737 and now woth the 777.

I have to admit, that I used to hit the AP as soon as possible most of the time, but since I got me the AAX, I take advantage of its FBW and hand-fly to 10000, sometimes even 18000ft and engage AP only then. But of course that depends the weather situation, too, and - as Zoran already said - on the scenery, especially if I do not use the Airbus.

I also try to fly the approaches by hand, but honestly I fail too often IMO, I always get distracted and screw up at some point and manage either not to be on or deviate from a stable approach, so that I have to go around.

Upon departure I fly to maybe 7000ft or and then I engage the AP. AP controlls the desc if i'm not descending through mountains or something

AP off just before the final turn for the loc. I never do auto-lands unless it's 0 visibility (Which I have yet to encounter)

 

I fly on Ivao so I might let the AP handle the departure all the way to cruise alt. as soon as I put the landing gear up so I can handle the comms But that is only when ATC is around of course

I have to admit, that I used to hit the AP as soon as possible most of the time, but since I got me the AAX, I take advantage of its FBW and hand-fly to 10000, sometimes even 18000ft and engage AP only then. But of course that depends the weather situation, too, and - as Zoran already said - on the scenery, especially if I do not use the Airbus.

I also try to fly the approaches by hand, but honestly I fail too often IMO, I always get distracted and screw up at some point and manage either not to be on or deviate from a stable approach, so that I have to go around.

I'm the opposite. Despite reading manuals in-depth, I am absolutely brain-dead when it comes to correct AP final approach procedures. I'm better off hand flying and landing on final, until I can figure out what knobs and buttons to turn and push at what times. I can handle MCP, it's getting from LNAV to LOC and APP that gives me headaches.

 

 

I usually fly old jets lately so the VOR to VOR  and ATC work load can get rather busy on most routes and I am happy to use auto pilot at most opportunities for relief.  GA much easier of course.

 

I try to fully learn and master the center wall of knobs on most planes. Once I'm comfortable, I force myself to enjoy manually landing cause lord knows I certainly always need practice at it.

 

Following the magenta line, I don't see the attraction. Only use GPS if I'm hopelessly lost or to check how well I'm navigating.

Some days I engage the autopilot at 200' in the Q400 and enjoy the automation, and other days I might hanf fly the MD-11 or 777 to FL300;   it just depends on the departure procedure, weather, and my mood.

 

Same for the approach, although I never use autoland.

 

Hand flying and automation can be fiun. :smile:

I have to admit I dont do much handflying. I engage the AP at 10,000 ft and disengage when established in the ILS at 1000 ft.

I fly using ATC.  So no SID's or STAR's.

After takeoff, I usually hand fly to 6000-10000.  For ILS landing, I usually disengage a/p and a/t when the papi lights become visible.  I think I would like to try it much earlier and follow the FD. 

 

 

 and other days I might hanf fly the MD-11 or 777 to FL300;  

 

That's awesome.  You, sir, are hardcore!

I love handflying everything, which includes tubeliners, as long as weather permits.

 

A lot of the approaches I do require handflying. Ex. Paro, Kai Tak, Norilsk, and some others.

 

Also, it is fun sometimes to just forget ILS and autothrottle and turn it all off when you are coming in on an approach. I feel safer knowing I'm flying the plane, and not the plane flying itself.

 

But, of course, sometimes I just click the AP and that's it.

 and enjoy the automation,  :smile:

 

You have a good point. It's hard to enjoy ones purchased payware when looking only at upper sky and clouds all the time. AP affords more time to watch things.

I will hand fly the NGX (such a dream to fly) to about 10,000 feet just for fun, of course all I'm doing is following the flight director bars and the flightplan on the display. It really is a preference between pilots! I just don't enjoy flying the T7 done my PMDG as much so I engage autopilot at about 2,000-5,000. If I'm taking off and doing some custom take off like instead of using SIDs,STARs, I want to follow a custom flight path I will hand fly any aircraft for a ways, the CS 757 is kind of required to hand fly for a while as the autopilot over corrects all the time for me until I clear 15,000. That's my 2 cents!