At our airline (real world), we select A/T Armed when setting up the MCP. I guess it depends from airline to airline.

In the 777, it's a LOT easier, as A/T is never supposed to be disarmed during normals OPS.

If you dialing in the numbers in The MCP as you should do eg . F/D speed/altitude runway hdg then its going to be hard to miss the A/T

 

 

+1:

 

A F/D item triggers my A/T arming. I've "trained" myself to arm A/T as soon as someone calls for the F/Ds.

 

With "rigid" flows and checklists like the ones implemented in FS2Crew, I sometimes create "supplementary" checklists from FlightDeckCompanion. (Not for a single item like the A/T, though.)

Ryanair, arm the autothrottle when taxiing onto the active runway. It is a procedure that aims to eliminate any accidental press of the TOGA button. This is easier to remember as you can glance on the mcp as you taxi onto the active.

 

 

I will try it...if I can remember.

On the 400, the general concept is to arm the A/T during preflight of the MCP.

 

On the 777, the concept is to just leave it armed all the time.

 

I've seen simmers opine that the A/T should be disarmed to prevent accidental engagement of same when it is not expected- but honestly I have never heard of this happening in the real world....

i always do it while entering the runway with rnwy lights, tcas ta\ra etc.

On the 777, the concept is to just leave it armed all the time.

 

I've seen simmers opine that the A/T should be disarmed to prevent accidental engagement of same when it is not expected- but honestly I have never heard of this happening in the real world....

 

On the 737-777, I arm the A/T until lining up with the runway because I've actually had accidental engagement a couple of times. My keyboard commands for the 777 on this matter are T and Y for left-right A/T and U for TO/GA.

On the 400, the general concept is to arm the A/T during preflight of the MCP.

Assuming you're referring to the 747-400?

As it was said, it depends a lot on the airline SOP.

 

At least in some you would also get a callout from the PM (TOGA mode active)

Part of my flow when I enter the runway is to scan left to right along the MCP. Captain FD on, AT arm, speed, heading, altitude set to cleared instructions, FO FD on. Verify LNAV/VNAV as appropriate. These should already be set up, but it's good to do a last minute check.

 

Remember that checklists, in most cases, are not "read and do." They're to verify that the things you should have already done are completed.

At American we arm them during the cockpit preflight. Autothrottles armed is part of the MCP "SET" item on our checklist prior to pushback.

I have not ever inadvertently activated the 737NGX TOGA, but that's not to say it couldn't happen.  As it could arguably with the real one.

 

 

The main reason I don't want to forget the A/T is that all the hard work that when into a nice take off thrust settings is wasted.

Maybe the best place to check it is in the MCP section of pref light.  The A/T is after all in on that panel.

 

 

Funnily enough I had a couple of mishaps with the MD-11, and the plane started shooting off unexpectedly.

I've seen simmers opine that the A/T should be disarmed to prevent accidental engagement of same when it is not expected- but honestly I have never heard of this happening in the real world....

 

Even if you did press TOGA, when taxing you should have you hand on the throttles anyway. So overriding to idle and disconnecting the AT wouldn't or, shouldn't be an issue.

 

On the 777, the concept is to just leave it armed all the time.

 

Admittedly they both got turned off a few flights whilst seeing what she can really do :wink: