Only speaking from around YVR, but it's very common with aircraft larger than Dash8's to hear the AP being disengaged around the FAF or with the landing clearance. So when flying tubes in the sim, I tend to pretty much the same.

The sim could do with auto taxi as well!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g185mUtaiSU

One thing is that all FSX/P3D ILS are CATIII and permits autoland.

If real ILS CAT was used on terrains, with DH up to 800', less people would use autoland indeed.

 

Autoland kills the fun indeed. 

There's nothing like a good visual pattern flown manually with a jumbo

 

 

Only speaking from around YVR, but it's very common with aircraft larger than Dash8's to hear the AP being disengaged around the FAF or with the landing clearance. So when flying tubes in the sim, I tend to pretty much the same.

 

+1

What's the point of doing an autoland in the sim all the time? Handflying the landing is the most fun part of the entire flight and the only challenge of flying a plane in the sim...

Take offs and landings are the most fun part of a flight simulator, which is why I tend to either just do practice take offs/circuits/landings at various airports, or else very short flights of less than an hour. This is in the PMDG 737NGX, but then I don't fly this plane like the rest of you do! I always hand fly the plane at all times, but then I rarely get above 4000 feet.

 

 

Take offs and landings are the most fun part of a flight simulator, which is why I tend to either just do practice take offs/circuits/landings at various airports, or else very short flights of less than an hour.

 

Flying manual circuits is a lot of fun and the best way to get a feel for the aircraft. I also do them to "stay in shape". Often times these manual circuits are more rewarding then a fully automated 2 hour flight...

FYI I use autoland all the time, wish I didn't have to but my disability forces  me to as I  have no dexterity 

I only use autoland when I come about weather conditions that would require it (with CAT III) in the real world.         That equates to about twice per year - if that!

 

 

I find it a bit disappointing to think that if addons had an 'auto takeoff' capability, then people would use this too

 

I don't really 'get' people who are disappointed by other people's harmless preferences though.

 

 

Autoland kills the fun indeed

 

....clearly not for people who find autolanding fun! 

 

< conclusion:  daft thread >    (sorry!)

There was an article in the NYT today that said a pilot in an A320 typically only hand flies his plane for less than three minutes thirty seconds a flight. So guess if you are really "simming" you hardly ever touch the controls. 

 

but in the context of this thread it would be more correct to say that if you are really simming you would hardly touch the controls except for takeoff and landing.

Oops here guys, the way I manually set my ASN weather, if I didn't use autoland I would probably land on the airport at least 5 miles away, lol... For me autolanding is like the real thing... The weather has to be perfect or the the big carriers will be pushed away from the runway, at least on my pmdg 737, 777, 747 and aerosoft 318.  I must just manage to autoland in small planes. But anyway, I still have a lot to learn....  I heard pilots in real life just handland in good weather and only from about 10 meters or so before touch down.  

I think I read somewhere that some airline SOPs require a full autoland to be performed periodically (monthly?) per aircraft to make sure it still works.

This makes sense as I remember a couple flights I was on making FIRM landings during warm, sunny, cloudless days. Otto isn't very graceful.

Always in Boeings (except when the visibility is bad), rarely in the Airbus. I find those things too confusing to handle 

Just talked to my uncle last night who was a Captain and flew 744s for a major carrier back in the 90's.  We got to talking, and I brought this subject up.These are his words, not mine.

 

They were encouraged to hand fly as much as possible depending on work load, to at least 10000ft.  He told me, if he could, he would fly up to about FL150-200.  On the way down, he tried to get on it at about 15000 or so.  If the workload was too high, he took it at 10000, or FAF if real busy.

 

He's an old salt who believes that automation is eroding the stick and rudder skills of most pilots.  He always believed that if a irregular situation or problem arises in the flight, stick and rudder would save your butt, not the autopilot or any automation.

 

He pointed out that Asiana crashed in San Francisco because of pilot error...the pilots where faced with a clear weather visual approach.  They relied on automation and did not understand how it worked when not on an automatic approach (the autothrottle was in "hold" mode).  Had they the "feel" of flying the jet, they would have probably noticed they were slow (sluggish control response) and the accident could have probably been avoided.

 

He's not sure on policy today, but he hopes for all of us who fly regularly commercially, that most pilots try to keep their skills high without being too much of a button pusher!  We are all safer for it if pilots maintain real flight skills.

 

Again, his words, not mine...but I do agree with him!  B)

Wise man.

 

 

I heard pilots in real life just handland in good weather and only from about 10 meters or so before touch down

 

10 metres ! I think you will find that airlines SOP demand that a pilot is flying manualy by at least 1000 feet.

 

They will only use autoland when weather minimums do not permit a hand flown approach. Poor weather itself will not mean autoland will be used. Using autoland creates extra workload for the airport where holding/taxiing aircraft have to be kept further from the runway, so it is not something that a pilot can ask for or be granted on a whim.