Hello. I'm an owner of the Leonardo MD 80. I've noticed that when I program routes into the FMS, the top of descent is placed incredibly close to my destination. This causes my descents to be in excess of 2000ft per minute. This also causes my speed to be very difficult to control. Has anyone else had this issue? How did you deal with it?

 

Thanks, 

Stephen Hobson

No problem here.  Can you give us a route to try? Include SID/STAR if you're using them

No problem here.  Can you give us a route to try? Include SID/STAR if you're using them

 

Here's the last flight I flew in the MD80 from Richmond to Dallas:

 

READE1 LYH PSK J22 VXV MEM J66 LIT BYP6

 

The FMS set the altitude of my first waypoint on final to ~9000 feet. I've never had this problem in the NGX. 

 

Also, does the MD80 automatically reduce your speed to 250 or less just before descending below 10000 feet or does this have to be programmed into the FMS?

 

Thanks.

Some reading material: http://www.airlinepilotchatter.com/2013/06/vnav-follies.html

 

Some viewing material: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MrFpbh7Pq8‎

A tip on the Super 80's is to extend the landing lights, this will get you another -200fpm without raising airspeed.

Here are the route restrictions my FMC inserted (AIRAC 1313): LIT 269/FL340, MEEOW 269/FL340, GLOVE 269/FL340, ROBEY 269/FL340, BYP 269/FL340.  

 

Then, selecting the RW 35C ILS approach (BYP6.35B):  KARLA 269/FL340, COVIE 290/FL311, LEMYN 290/FL276, STONZ 290/FL199, DIRKK 250/5453, DAYSZZ 250/2100, JOBBS 250/2100, RW35C 250/550.  I did come in high and hot, but only because the autopilot turned me from DIRKK to DAYZZ well before arrival at DIRKK - it's a 180 degree turn, I've seen this with other aicraft as well, and the solution is to insert an offset waypoint to force the aircraft to fly all the way to the waypoint (or, just switch to heading mode and fly it there yourself).

 

I don't know why, but this FMS doesn't seem to insert lower speeds as waypoints approach the runway.  I have to insert speeds manually.  But in response to your other question, as you can see the FMS does reduce speeds to 250 at FL100 (and, you can select a lower speed on the DES page by entering, for example, "240/10000" at LSK-4L, just below the standard "250/10000" already inserted at LSK-3L