Fastest way to delete only the speed restriction on the fmc?

[BlueStar 323]

1 hour ago, scandinavian13 said:

speed is usually the last tool to get used:

ATC almost always uses speed first. It does ATC no good to put an aircraft on a vector for separation unless the aircraft are assigned similar speeds.  ATC uses altitude while getting separation using speed and vectors.  When Center sequences aircraft for a lower or arrival sector, those aircraft will be at a predetermined speed, altitude, path, and distance apart.  🙂

[berts 97]

4 hours ago, scandinavian13 said:

Deleting a speed restriction isn't something ATC needs quickly. Slow down. Do it correctly in the time it takes.

Agreed. There is never any need to act quickly when ATC cancels a speed restriction, because the controller is in effect saying the airspeed is now at the pilot's discretion.  

12 hours ago, G-CIVA said:

Use a lower level of automation to keep brain ahead of airplane.

Agreed.  It seems that pilots are increasingly reluctant (or even being actively discouraged) to fly their aircraft manually these days, but there are occasions when this can sometimes be the best option e.g. TCAS RA's and probe icing to name only two.

The most frequent occurences when a pilot will be expected to react to an ATC instruction promptly (but still actioned by re-programming the automatics carefully and deliberately) is when the controller uses words like 'expedite' or 'vacate' (e.g. an altitude, a runway, increase the current rate of climb or descent etc. etc).  In the early days of the original B747 when it was fully loaded and approaching its maximum safe cruising altitude the word "expedite" was definitely not in its vocabulary!

Bertie   

[scandinavian13 5,192]

2 hours ago, Bluestar said:

ATC almost always uses speed first. It does ATC no good to put an aircraft on a vector for separation unless the aircraft are assigned similar speeds.  ATC uses altitude while getting separation using speed and vectors.  When Center sequences aircraft for a lower or arrival sector, those aircraft will be at a predetermined speed, altitude, path, and distance apart.  🙂

Gonna disagree with you here.

Again, you'll hear speed assignment in the terminal environment, and centers will use it to maintain miles in trail (MIT) when metered. All the same, the first tool to be used for actual separation is going to be a vector in the terminal environment until things get really tight, which is the subject area for this thread (specifically the departure side of the terminal environment).

So...terminal departures? Speed restriction versus vector? You're going to be hard pressed to find a controller who will issue speeds.

There are a couple reasons for this:

1. The 7110 specifically notes that they should be minimally used (in all cases - 7110.65 - 5-7-1)
2. Departure speed restrictions are required to be above 230 knots for turbojets, which really doesn't do you any good (7110.65 - 5-7-3 d 1)
3. They're the slowest adjustment - a change in heading or altitude is made much faster than speed (physics)

I'm not sure where you're getting the point about vector separation and similar speeds. Putting an aircraft on a vector with another around it at a similar speed is largely worthless, unless you're turning the trailing inside of the leading. In fact, given your situation, that would be one of the few cases outside of metering where I might consider just telling the trailing to maintain the speed of the leading.

[Boeing or not going 578]

On 5/3/2018 at 10:03 AM, scandinavian13 said:

Deleting a speed restriction isn't something ATC needs quickly. Slow down. Do it correctly in the time it takes.

Getting the speeds cleared in the FMC as I approach a point and it takes miles to lose speed, I fly empty freighters on half my legs. They lose speed slower than an 737NG. I try to keep the high speed descent going on path to save fuel and time. - David Lee

Edited May 4, 2018 by Boeing or not going

[berts 97]

On 5/4/2018 at 8:04 PM, Boeing or not going said:

Getting the speeds cleared in the FMC as I approach a point and it takes miles to lose speed, I fly empty freighters on half my legs. They lose speed slower than an 737NG. I try to keep the high speed descent going on path to save fuel and time. - David Lee

The large inertia of the B744 is something that frequently catches out newly converting pilots.  It is something that has to be allowed for during descent planning and watched out for carefully when manoeuvering; especially if you are on 3 or 2 engines with the flaps out and gear down.  Getting on the backside of the drag curve in this aircraft is a definite no no and can be very embarrassing if it is allowed to happen, because the aircaft will require a lot - and I mean a lot - of extra thrust to recover in level flight! 

As for slowing down in level flight, at average gross weights without speedbrake and using idle thrust it can take nearly a minute to decelerate from VMO to 290kts and nearly a further 70 seconds to decelerate from 290kts to the Flaps Up speed.  Levelling off at 350kts and slowing down to the Flaps Up speed will take about 100 seconds without speedbrake and about 1 minute with speedbrake.   

Berite    

[Cobra16 0]

On 5/2/2018 at 12:11 PM, Boeing or not going said:

What is the fastest way to remove only a speed restriction on a sid/star? Use the Delete key to wipe the line. Add the altitude restriction back? Can be time consuming with 3 or 4 legs to change. Hoping to find the fastest way to do this for saving times sake! Thanks - David Lee

On a STAR, if ATC says “Delete the Speeds”...push throttles up... It will stay on VNAV PATH and autothrottles will go into THR HOLD, fly whatever speed you want. No need to do any entries on FMC.