So yesterday I was asking a question about N1, and yet this morning, I've just completed a circuit in a 737-200, and all went fantastically well!

 

I can see this hobby is going to be very addictive.

 

And I can also see how vital and helpful it is to have a community like this one, to help eachother.

 

Looking forward to the next chapter(s)!

 

One quick question on this one - in jets, does Vertical Sped control tend to be used in climbing and descending, or just in descending?

 

Many thanks

I typically use vertical speed in controlling my descents for a fixed 3.0 degree descent angle.

So yesterday I was asking a question about N1, and yet this morning, I've just completed a circuit in a 737-200, and all went fantastically well!

 

I can see this hobby is going to be very addictive.

 

And I can also see how vital and helpful it is to have a community like this one, to help eachother.

 

Looking forward to the next chapter(s)!

 

One quick question on this one - in jets, does Vertical Sped control tend to be used in climbing and descending, or just in descending?

 

Many thanks

 

I teach my pilots over at my VA and as such have kidnapped real pilots and grilled them with questions so I can better teach.   This is the answer from a Southwest pilot I got regarding what functions they use on the MCP during climb outs after departures and descents into destination;

 

"Whatever the pilot wants.   It all depends on what they are comfortable with and what they think they need to get the plane safely up or down.    Some strictly rely on the VNAV system to get the plane up and down.   Others will use Level Change as it gives you better control over speed during descent.   Some will use Vertical Speed mode to get the exact vertical and descending rate they want.    Typically I use the Level Change mode the most during ascents and use it coming down before 10,000.  Once past 10,000 when descending I use a mixture of Vertical Speed and Level Change until I revert to hand flying for the final approach."

 

So the long answer is.  It is used if you feel the need to use it.    I use to use it exclusively until I interviewed the SWA pilot.    I see what he is talking about now.  I personally love Level Change mode myself and use it on pretty much every flight.   I rarely turn on VNAV unless I just absolutely need the plane to have that much control, usually because of Step Climbing or Descent.    I really only use Vertical Mode if I need to hit a certain altitude at a very specific time.   Example of when to switch;        Say I am coming down on a STAR arrival and the charts say I HAVE to be at 10,000 feet when I cross a certain point.  I am in Level Change mode but I can see that in this Mode, the aircraft will not be able to make that altitude restriction because it's descending based on my current speed dialed into the MCP.  I can either slow the aircraft down to get a steeper descent (which I don't want to do because that will make me late arriving) or I can do Option B; Switch to vertical mode and dial in the negative Feet-Per-Minute setting I need to hit that 10,000 foot mark on time.   The aircraft might speed up a little bit in the descent but not that much and I can always control it with some Speed Breaking.     The only other time I use VS Mode is on the final.    I dial in that 3 degree sweet spot  to start the glide slope to runway then once the plane has trimmed itself up I take over control and fly it manually to the runway then I hide all the bottles of Vodka under my chair so they don't realize I am Denzel Washington from the movie FLIGHT.

It is amazing, sure! What is most important to me is that after every, in my case, NGX flight, the feeling of satisfaction and achievement is so strong, that it is the most important factor for me why I looking forward to my next flight in a day or two... or in a week. I simply can't wait to start my next flight, it's so addictive, immersive and, in short, yeah, amazing.

Just buy PMDG NGX for a start, FS2CREW some time after you learn the basics and procedures, and you will be pulled into the world of an airline pilot so fast and deep, be prepared.

Thanks so much for the comments, encouragement and help ......all absorbed, onwards and upwards!

 

@Pe11e - I have my eye on that PMDG NGX - not quite ready for it yet - but boy can't wait!

Thanks so much for the comments, encouragement and help ......all absorbed, onwards and upwards!

 

@Pe11e - I have my eye on that PMDG NGX - not quite ready for it yet - but boy can't wait!

 

If you can't wait just type in YouTube "PMDG NGX FS2CREW" and enjoy.

If you can't wait just type in YouTube "PMDG NGX FS2CREW" and enjoy.

 

Just watched a tutorial on this, wow! ..... thanks @Pe11e

This hobby is amazing indeed!

Thanks so much for the comments, encouragement and help ......all absorbed, onwards and upwards!

 

Great enthusiasm! I know how you feel. I've been simming for about 17 years and still get excited like a kid at Christmas every so often. There always a new aircraft,a new airport, better hardware, better platforms, and great learning to be had. It's especially great when you learn to master a complex addon from the PMDG stable. There is lots and lots of great learning to be had, and that's what makes it fun.

 

You can make simming as simple or as complex as you want at anytime.  I've tried many 'simulations' out there over the years.  Cars, trains, ships,,,,,none of them hold my appeal for very long.  For 17 years, I have always come back to flying.

 

I can see this hobby is going to be very addictive.

 

 

 

Yes very addictive :smile:  and expensive  :mad:   which will eventually leave your partner like this      

As mentioned above -- use what you need to use. But be aware of the pros and cons of each mode.

 

V/S can be a dangerous mode because it is 'dumb' and it will try and kill you if you do not monitor it correctly. In the climb, the aircraft will attempt to maintain the selected climb rate at the expense of airspeed. Eventually, if you have too high a v/s selected and not enough thrust (let's say, for instance, you set it at an early stage in the climb, you're now up much higher with correspondingly less thrust and your attention has been taken by something else) most autopilots will continue to pitch up in to the stall.

 

Likewise, in the descent it is possible to fly _away from_ the MCP selected altitude (i.e. if it is above the current altitude -- let's say you're trying to intercept a glide slope from above). Again, left unchecked it _will_ fly you in to the ground. FLCH and VNAV (or Airbus equivalents) will not do these things.

 

That's not to say don't use V/S: just that when you do use it, you must be alert and you must monitor the aircraft particularly carefully.

 

It's also worth remembering that the second half of a commercial pilot's job description - after 'safety' - is 'efficiency'. Generally speaking, the most efficient way to get to cruise altitude is to set climb thrust, select an airspeed and allow the aircraft to climb as quickly as possible with a fixed thrust setting: which is what FLCH or VNAV will give you. Likewise, during the descent, generally the most economical way of getting from FL350 to ground level is to close the thrust levers and descend at idle power, avoiding level flight segments where possible. Again, FLCH or VNAV will help you out here.

 

Where I find V/S useful is as a 'finessing' tool. So if I need to limit my rate of climb -- for example in busy airspace to avoid setting off the TCAS of an aircraft above, or for passenger comfort during a step climb in smooth air -- then V/S is useful, usually for just a short 1000-2000ft. Likewise toward the end of a descent, if I need to reduce the rate slightly to achieve a continuous descent approach or slow the aircraft down (or both), or stepping down on a procedural approach -- V/S is useful. But for long periods, FLCH or VNAV offer better protections.

When actually flying, I use the IAS mode for climbs and V/S for descents. The main purpose for this is if you hold the autopilot in V/S it does whatever it can to keep that, including continuing to pitch the nose up until the aircraft stalls and the autopilot automatically shuts off. So I stick to my climb speeds as per the -10 (Or POH) and have the autopilot hold the speeds as necessary. But this is more technique than anything else. Also my reference was for the King Air 200.