Can auto step climb work for lower steps?

[killairbus 3]

Occasionally I get some lower flight levels and I was wondering if the auto step climb would work with that or is it strictly for climbing?

also if my initial is at FL380 and I have go down to FL370 do I still type it as 37000S even though it's lower?

-Angelo Busato

[Olympic260 415]

I do not believe it will auto step down. As far as I know step down are very rarely done, I know of real world pilot who has never performed a step down 

 

EDIT. With the above comment about real pilot, meant stepdonws that are in a FP route. Step downs for Fuel temps or better winds yes these will happen more often

Edited January 12, 2019 by Olympic260

[thibodba57 462]

I've performed numerous step downs over the Pacific heading west into some pretty crazy winds.  Also have stepped down due to fuel temps over Siberia a couple times.  Programming the CDU is as you say /370S.  Whether PMDGs will auto step for you I have no idea. Never bothered to try it out in the Sim.  Give it a shot and let us know.

[Captain Kevin 586]

1 hour ago, Olympic260 said:

As far as I know step down are very rarely done

I've only ever experienced it once. Flying from Orlando to Cleveland, we were initially at flight level 350 when I felt the plane descend much earlier than I expected to. I looked at FlightAware and discovered that we had descended to flight level 340 and stayed there for the rest of the flight until we started our descent into Cleveland.