Autofligt

[Wennerholm 44]

Hi! I have some minor problem with my A/P. When I activate A/P at 10000 ft it follow my flightplan but only 2 - 5 way point then it starts to descend fast and change heading. My flightplan and FD shows accurate value. Some idea about what I do wrong? 

[Captain Kevin 586]

Since yesterday was the first time you flew this plane, it might help to read through the intro manual and also fly the tutorial flight. In any event, there isn't enough information to answer your question. What flight plan did you put in, what modes were you in on the autopilot. Need details here.

[Budbud 227]

1 hour ago, Ken Wennerholm said:

but only 2 - 5 way point then it starts to descend fast and change heading.

Hi,

What is displayed on the FMA when it occurs? And do you have any warning and any message on the upper EICAS (red autopilot message for instance)?

There is no way the FMC would initiate a descent by itself unless in the altitude on the FMC is set to a lower value than the cruising altitude and it reaches the TOD.

Out of that case, the aircraft will only descent if the autopilot is disconnected or if her speed drops too much to maintain the altitude. Or it may temporarily looses some altitude in severe turbulence but then the AP should recover it by itself.

That is for the real thing.
In sim, you may experience buggy behavior particularly in case of a corrupted fsuipc profile or a corrupted panel state.
 

So the more details you provide about the situation, the easier it will be to understand what's going on.

[downscc 1,327]

21 minutes ago, Budbud said:

autopilot is disconnected

this... at least that is my stab in the dark and it really is dark around here.

Fly the Tutorial!!!!

[Chock 17,769]

I'll take a guess at there being a discontinuity in your flight plan, which your aircraft is reaching and then either the autopilot is disconnecting or the MCP settings are being followed, which accounts for the erratic behaviour.

Have you checked your flight plan prior to take off, by stepping through it? (you should always do so prior to pushing back; choose PLAN on the EFIS and you will be able to step through the flight plan on your CdU) if there is a discontinuity, click on the left LSK on the waypoint  immediately below the discontinuity to put that waypopint into the scratchpad, then click on the LSK alongside the discontinuity and that should close the gap up.                                            

If that isn't the issue, either fly it on the MCP, or manually, until you figure it out. You're in charge, it's up to you to take command, especially if things go wrong, that's what they give you the fourth stripe for.

[Wennerholm 44]

Just now, Budbud said:

Hi,

What is displayed on the FMA when it occurs? And do you have any warning and any message on the upper EICAS (red autopilot message for instance)?

There is no way the FMC would initiate a descent by itself unless in the altitude on the FMC is set to a lower value than the cruising altitude and it reaches the TOD.

Out of that case, the aircraft will only descent if the autopilot is disconnected or if her speed drops too much to maintain the altitude. Or it may temporarily looses some altitude in severe turbulence but then the AP should recover it by itself.

That is for the real thing.
In sim, you may experience buggy behavior particularly in case of a corrupted fsuipc profile or a corrupted panel state.
 

So the more details you provide about the situation, the easier it will be to understand what's going on.

   Hi! No I have not any message in the EICAS. I do not have time for looking in the In FMA because of the dive.

Next time I going to hit paus and read it. I think It says vnav, lnav. Alt in CDU LEG shows FL430 but I have input FL350. I have no dico in CDU panel. I have wind 24 knots from N and I heading W. I know the 747 will do as FMC=me say´s.

Speed are normal. I have no FSUIPC. Should I press the buttons for speed, direction, and height when I have set the correct values?

[Wennerholm 44]

Just now, Chock said:

I'll take a guess at there being a discontinuity in your flight plan, which your aircraft is reaching and then either the autopilot is disconnecting or the MCP settings are being followed, which accounts for the erratic behaviour.

Have you checked your flight plan prior to take off, by stepping through it? (you should always do so prior to pushing back; choose PLAN on the EFIS and you will be able to step through the flight plan on your CdU) if there is a discontinuity, click on the left LSK on the waypoint  immediately below the discontinuity to put that waypopint into the scratchpad, then click on the LSK alongside the discontinuity and that should close the gap up.                                            

If that isn't the issue, either fly it on the MCP, or manually, until you figure it out. You're in charge, it's up to you to take command, especially if things go wrong, that's what they give you the fourth stripe for.

Hi! No discontinuity:-) Yes, I have check step bu step in LEG page and there is normal value for the route. I am in jail now for the last crash. The food are good and I make new friends.

[Budbud 227]

4 hours ago, Ken Wennerholm said:

I think It says vnav, lnav. Alt in CDU LEG shows FL430 but I have input FL350. I have no dico in CDU panel. I have wind 24 knots from N and I heading W. I know the 747 will do as FMC=me say´s.

Speed are normal. I have no FSUIPC. Should I press the buttons for speed, direction, and height when I have set the correct values?

Hi,

In cruise, the FMA should show SPD / LNAV / VNAV PTH. 

I'm not sure about the flight levels. Wich one have entered in the Init page? FL430 seems rather high unless you have no payload and not much fuel remaining. You can check at any time the max level and the optimum level on the VNAV cruise page?

During a flight (especially a long one), the logic is to climb to your initial cruise level once cleared by the ATC. So you would enter that level in the MCP. Then at each step climb calculated by the FMC (and cleared by the ATC), would set the MCP altitude to the next level and push the altitude intervene button to let the aircraft climbs to the next level. Out of that, provide the LNAV and VNAV are engaged and active (displayed in green on the FMA) then you don't have any button to press.

Back to your flight level, the leg page displays FL430. But what is displayed on the VNAV cruise page (top left of the page)? Is it the flight level you entered in the Init page or is it the result of the calculated step climbs? And why do you have FL350 set in the MCP?

Also do you the auto step climb set to ON in the autocruise options?

 

 

[Wennerholm 44]

Just now, Budbud said:

Hi,

In cruise, the FMA should show SPD / LNAV / VNAV PTH. 

I'm not sure about the flight levels. Wich one have entered in the Init page? FL430 seems rather high unless you have no payload and not much fuel remaining. You can check at any time the max level and the optimum level on the VNAV cruise page?

During a flight (especially a long one), the logic is to climb to your initial cruise level once cleared by the ATC. So you would enter that level in the MCP. Then at each step climb calculated by the FMC (and cleared by the ATC), would set the MCP altitude to the next level and push the altitude intervene button to let the aircraft climbs to the next level. Out of that, provide the LNAV and VNAV are engaged and active (displayed in green on the FMA) then you don't have any button to press.

Back to your flight level, the leg page displays FL430. But what is displayed on the VNAV cruise page (top left of the page)? Is it the flight level you entered in the Init page or is it the result of the calculated step climbs? And why do you have FL350 set in the MCP?

Also do you the auto step climb set to ON in the autocruise options?

 

 

   Hi! Thanks for helping me! In the INIT PAGE I input FL 350. I have PAX 350 but no cargo. Block Fuel 24 400 kg. UUEE-ESSA. I have no ATC yet. Should I input the first shown FL SID´s first level in the MCP, Instead of ATS orders? My LNAV AND VNAV are active. I going to look after FL in VNAV cruisepage in my next flight. I have not set the auto step climb to on in the autocruise option. 

 

 

[Budbud 227]

Hi Ken,

Since you don't look too much familiar with the procedures of the 747-400, I would advise you fly the tutorial if no already done.

A couple of hints:

Enter the FL350 in the Init page as the first cruise level (if it the one calculated in your flight plan) - btw for UUEE-ESSA it should be an even flight level so more likely FL340 or FL360.

Since you don't have any ATC, you may enter 35000 in the MCP box it doesn't matter, the FMC will comply with any altitude restriction on the SID (if you had an ATC, you will enter the cleared altitude given in the clearance or published on the AIP.) 

If you set an altitude below the cruise level, then monitor the climb. If you forget to roll up the altitude before the aircraft reaches it, the pitch mode will revert to VNAV ALT and the FMC will level off the plane at the target altitude of the MCP at the time of the reversion. If this occurs, just enter a higher altitude and hit the altitude intervene button of the MCP.

Then after having completed the FMC, and the different checklists, entered V2, the heading and the altitude on the MCP, arm LNAV and VNAV. You need the FDs on for that and a valid lateral and vertical path so the modes arm.

After takeoff, at 400ft, the LNAV should engage (VNAV already also). During the climb, check that VNAV PTH or VNAV SPD are displayed on the FMC (VNAV PTH will remain until 10000ft where it goes to VNAV SPD to accelerate).

At cruise level, when levelling off, verify that VNAV PTH is displayed on the FMA.

If everything goes well, once you have entered the cruising altitude on the MCP and you are established on the climb with LNAV and VNAV engaged, you should not have anything to touch anymore.

 

[Wennerholm 44]

On 2017-08-01 at 5:35 PM, Budbud said:

Hi Ken,

Since you don't look too much familiar with the procedures of the 747-400, I would advise you fly the tutorial if no already done.

A couple of hints:

Enter the FL350 in the Init page as the first cruise level (if it the one calculated in your flight plan) - btw for UUEE-ESSA it should be an even flight level so more likely FL340 or FL360.

Since you don't have any ATC, you may enter 35000 in the MCP box it doesn't matter, the FMC will comply with any altitude restriction on the SID (if you had an ATC, you will enter the cleared altitude given in the clearance or published on the AIP.) 

If you set an altitude below the cruise level, then monitor the climb. If you forget to roll up the altitude before the aircraft reaches it, the pitch mode will revert to VNAV ALT and the FMC will level off the plane at the target altitude of the MCP at the time of the reversion. If this occurs, just enter a higher altitude and hit the altitude intervene button of the MCP.

Then after having completed the FMC, and the different checklists, entered V2, the heading and the altitude on the MCP, arm LNAV and VNAV. You need the FDs on for that and a valid lateral and vertical path so the modes arm.

After takeoff, at 400ft, the LNAV should engage (VNAV already also). During the climb, check that VNAV PTH or VNAV SPD are displayed on the FMC (VNAV PTH will remain until 10000ft where it goes to VNAV SPD to accelerate).

At cruise level, when levelling off, verify that VNAV PTH is displayed on the FMA.

If everything goes well, once you have entered the cruising altitude on the MCP and you are established on the climb with LNAV and VNAV engaged, you should not have anything to touch anymore.

 

   Hi, Romain! Thank You! Sorry for a late respons. Today i performed a flight. I input FL340 in Perf Init page but when I check my LEG page I find FL390.

I discovered a page in CDU, MOD ECON CRZ. It say´s STEP FL390. I change that it to FL340 and my 747 level of at FL340. PFD shows THR REF until I reach cruise alt. Then it change to SPD. I input 200 CI. In my today flight I manage to reach halv the way into my destination then my 747 start to turn right and dropped very fast.

   I perform manual flight and put my aircraft on right course again. Then I engage A/P but I ended up in a 90¤ bank angel and pitch down angel 30¤. If I disengage VNAV I mange to hold the aircraft in position. I input weather data for the route in FMC (yesterday I purchase AS16+ASCA+ Navigraph Ultimate and I run the EZDOK). My FMS shows right value. I follow tutorial #1 but I use route UUEE-ESSA. Do you have any good ATC software that you can recommend?

 

[PMDG777 231]

5 minutes ago, Ken Wennerholm said:

   Hi! Thank You! Sorry for a late respons. Today i performed a flight. I input FL340 in Perf Init page but when I check my LEG page I find FL390. PFD shows THR REF until I reach cruise alt. Then it change to SPD.

I discovered a page in CDU, MOD ECON CRZ. It say´s STEP FL390. I change that it to FL340 and my 747 level of at FL340. In my today flight I manage to reach halv the way into my destination then my 747 start to turn right and dropped very fast.

   I perform manual flight and put my aircraft on right course again. Then I engage A/P but I ended up in a 90¤ bank angel and pitch down angel 30¤. If I disengage VNAV I mange to hold the aircraft in position. I input weather data for the route in FMC (yesterday I purchase AS16+ASCA+ Navigraph Ultimate and I run the EZDOK). My FMS shows right value.

Yeah my guess is you're not setting something correctly in the route causing this. How are you planning your routes?

Quote

I follow tutorial #1 but I use route UUEE-ESSA. Do you have any good ATC software that you can recommend?

 

Fly the tutorial to the letter. Don't pick your own route, do exactly as it says to make sure you're not missing anything.

[PMDG777 231]

7 minutes ago, Ken Wennerholm said:

Today i performed a flight. I input FL340 in Perf Init page but when I check my LEG page I find FL390.

 

Also, you seem to be really struggling with setting up the systems to fully fly a flight. Did you look into the angle of attack training that I linked you before? Also, are you following the amplified standard procedures in the FCOM? You were having problems in the 777 and have now dived head first into the 747 and are having problems again, I recommend slowing down and taking your time to actually learn the procedures.

[Wennerholm 44]

Just now, PMDG777 said:

Also, you seem to be really struggling with setting up the systems to fully fly a flight. Did you look into the angle of attack training that I linked you before? Also, are you following the amplified standard procedures in the FCOM? You were having problems in the 777 and have now dived head first into the 747 and are having problems again, I recommend slowing down and taking your time to actually learn the procedures.

Yes, You Are right about that! I have to slow down. In fact, I had been very disappointed at 777 and 747 if I had been able to fly after some hours of practice. Not realistic if it's easy to learn fly. therefore I chose PMDG and not other simple aircraft add on. I work as a security adviser at Securitas Sweden AB and there I have some friends recommended PMDG. To night I going to follow tutorial #1 step by step. No I have not look into the angle of attack training. It looks that the want my money for the tutorial. I planning my flight in Simbrief, AS16 and Navigraph.

[Wennerholm 44]

Yes, You Are right about that! I have to slow down. In fact, I had been very disappointed at 777 and 747 if I had been able to fly after some hours of practice. Not realistic if it's easy to learn fly. therefore I chose PMDG and not other simple aircraft add on. I work as a security adviser at Securitas Sweden AB and there I have some friends recommended PMDG. To night I going to follow tutorial #1 step by step. No I have not look into the angle of attack training. It looks that the want my money for the tutorial. I planning my flight in Simbrief, AS16 and Navigraph.