I have noticed that, often, I have to drop out of PROFILE mode and do a FL CH to get it where it should be on descent.  And then sometimes I can re-enter PROFILE mode and it picks right up again, once I've corrected altitude and speed.   I think that's neat, and I don't think it's necessarily a bug with this aircraft.   We're used to a lot of modern vnav precision I think.

@Maxis not sure I fully understand your post, but if the overhead hydraulic panel is showing a fault (light on) then something isn't switched on that should be.  If it's showing no fault then I'm not sure...maybe check the EFB and see if anything is noted in there.

5 minutes ago, Mace said:

I have noticed that, often, I have to drop out of PROFILE mode and do a FL CH to get it where it should be on descent.  And then sometimes I can re-enter PROFILE mode and it picks right up again, once I've corrected altitude and speed.   I think that's neat, and I don't think it's necessarily a bug with this aircraft.   We're used to a lot of modern vnav precision I think.

@Maxis not sure I fully understand your post, but if the overhead hydraulic panel is showing a fault (light on) then something isn't switched on that should be.  If it's showing no fault then I'm not sure...maybe check the EFB and see if anything is noted in there.

Its showing a fault but there is no corresponding button that i may have missed because from my understanding the upper panel buttons should not have any lights illuminated when in normal config and all the appropriate pumps appear on the panel to be working.....Which is why im suspecting its something else procedure wise since these things happened twice post engine startup. but i will try this flight again tonight again and see if i actually make it to Miami. 

2 minutes ago, Maxis said:

Its showing a fault but there is no corresponding button that i may have missed because from my understanding the upper panel buttons should not have any lights illuminated when in normal config and all the appropriate pumps appear on the panel to be working.....Which is why im suspecting its something else procedure wise since these things happened twice post engine startup. but i will try this flight again tonight again and see if i actually make it to Miami. 

Are you starting cold and dark at the gate?  And are you connecting external power there?  And then, at some point (after programming the FMS etc.) are you starting the APU?

I could see a problem if you are on EXT PWR and then disconnect EXT PWR and push back without the APU power on, i.e. a battery start.  The hydraulics could shut down to allow enough power to run the starters.  I've never done that, I'm just throwing it out there, I don't even know if it's possible to do a battery start (apu off) with this airplane on the ground.

13 minutes ago, Mace said:

Are you starting cold and dark at the gate?  And are you connecting external power there?  And then, at some point (after programming the FMS etc.) are you starting the APU?

I could see a problem if you are on EXT PWR and then disconnect EXT PWR and push back without the APU power on, i.e. a battery start.  The hydraulics could shut down to allow enough power to run the starters.  I've never done that, I'm just throwing it out there, I don't even know if it's possible to do a battery start (apu off) with this airplane on the ground.

Close but no dice .. You need bleed so i dont think you can start without something offering bleed and my engine starts on the ground have always been apu based.

Cold Dark .. with ground power with all the nav setup you mentioned ... then APU startup  .. then Close up the doors and then turn on the beacon and start up the pushback and startup procedures. The frustrating part is that the error doesn't show until after engine startup as it probably should since everything gets pressurized then but word not allowed .. all that prep work and going nowhere.

Edited November 22, 20223 yr by Maxis

4 hours ago, B777ER said:

Got to thinking of which heavy iron to get started on once I’m done with my exclusive GA flying. Was thinking it was going to be Fenix as I spent the last year in P3D exclusively with FSL. But now I’m thinking this A310 (in the awesome new Delta livery I picked up at Flightsim.to) may be the ticket. It reminds me of the size and range of the Level-D 763 we all loved so much back in FSX days. 

It could sort of make sense to start with this one with its mix of old and new technology from the early 1980's. Then progress onto the Fenix from there. I've done it the other way around. I started in the Flybywire A320NX, then the Fenix and then this one. Doing it this way has definitely been a challenge as I've gotten so used to the flybywire technology (there's none in the A310) and the very modern and automated systems on the A320. 

If you decide to go for it I highly recommend the tutorial series by iniBuild - they really brought me up to speed on this one! I would have been quite helpless without them in fact. 

I really like this AA livery from the iniManager with it's shiny metallic look:

And by the way I did fly the 767-300 in FSX. A lot actually. I think it was the first airliner that I really got into depth with in a sim. 

Edited November 22, 20223 yr by Cpt_Piett

5 hours ago, Mace said:

I have noticed that, often, I have to drop out of PROFILE mode and do a FL CH to get it where it should be on descent.  And then sometimes I can re-enter PROFILE mode and it picks right up again, once I've corrected altitude and speed.   I think that's neat, and I don't think it's necessarily a bug with this aircraft.   We're used to a lot of modern vnav precision I think.

The same here - I'm gradually getting used to not expecting 100% VNAV (or is it managed descent?) accuracy. The arc on the ND (again, not sure of the Airbus terminology) which indicates where the aircraft will level off is very useful. But I find myself using mostly LVL/CH then fine-tune using V/S. 

And I'm a bit exhilarated at the moment as I finally was able to nail down the RNAV approach in PROF mode. Wow that took a lot of attempts and a lot of practice. The trick was to slow down very early, be fully configured with gear down and landing flaps before FAP as well as select “FINAL 3.00” on the TO/APPR page in the MCDU. This last step is vital for "arming" the final approach mode. Clicking on the line select key (again, I'm probably mixing Airbus and Boeing terminology) next to "FINAL X.XX" will change it to "VDEV=X". MDA has to be entered before doing this though. 

As per the iniBuild's tutorials, the aircraft can fly different types of non-precision approaches, including VOR approaches either in "raw" VOR mode or an RNAV overlay mode. Common to all these approaches is the above procedure - fully configured before FAP. Also the autothrust logic is different than ILS approaches as autothrottle has to be deactivated on final approach. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find a key bind for A/T off in MSFS. 

 

Edited November 23, 20223 yr by Cpt_Piett

11 hours ago, Cpt_Piett said:

Also the autothrust logic is different than ILS approaches as autothrottle has to be deactivated on final approach. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find a key bind for A/T off in MSFS. 

Where did you read this? I have flown several RNAV in PROF in XP11 with ATHR and AP engaged (but take them off right before MDA). The ATHR will hold Vapp in an NPA while in PROF mode (speed window is dashed)

Edited November 23, 20223 yr by SAS443

18 hours ago, Maxis said:

So I've got a running issue with hydraulics two days in a row. Hopefully someone can identify the potential culprit because while i know for a fact that my former hometown airline had these running tech tech issues with its A310s i wasn't expecting them to happen to me virtually as well with the flight getting completely cancelled.. (It feels almost too real having to disembark cause these A310's loved to go tech)

I also had these hydraulic problems while I did everything like before where it all worked. I thought it had something to do with failure settings. I switched the 'Engine stress causes damage' or something like that off and it never happened again.

13 hours ago, Cpt_Piett said:

. Also the autothrust logic is different than ILS approaches as autothrottle has to be deactivated on final approach.

Why? Why not just dial in vref + 5 in the speed window and let AT handle vapp and vref?

1 hour ago, Ricardo41 said:

Why? Why not just dial in vref + 5 in the speed window and let AT handle vapp and vref?

Pitch-power coupling? Unlike the newer buses, the A310 does not have FBW and can´t compensate for this behavior.

5 hours ago, SAS443 said:

Where did you read this? I have flown several RNAV in PROF in XP11 with ATHR and AP engaged (but take them off right before MDA). The ATHR will hold Vapp in an NPA while in PROF mode (speed window is dashed)

I think what I meant was that ATHR has to be disconnected for landing on non-precision approaches. I did have it active for most of the approach though, and like you said it did hold Vapp while in PROF mode.

I got it from iniBuild's approach tutorial which I've been following religiously. Here's the timestamped link to the ATHR advice: https://youtu.be/4RkK6KNEnq0?t=615.

3 hours ago, Ricardo41 said:

Why? Why not just dial in vref + 5 in the speed window and let AT handle vapp and vref?

This is what I've been doing. Looking at my post I can see it was confusing though. 

 

Edited November 23, 20223 yr by Cpt_Piett

17 hours ago, Cpt_Piett said:

. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find a key bind for A/T off in MSFS. 

 

 

have yoy find it?

Autopilot 

Autothrottle Disconnect

works with A310

58 minutes ago, westman said:

have yoy find it?

Autopilot 

Autothrottle Disconnect

works with A310

Looking in the controls options right now, under autopilot, I can only see "auto throttle to GA" and "arm auto throttle". 

Wait - I found it! Thanks for you help! 🙂

On 11/22/2022 at 5:35 PM, Cpt_Piett said:

The same here - I'm gradually getting used to not expecting 100% VNAV (or is it managed descent?) accuracy. The arc on the ND (again, not sure of the Airbus terminology) which indicates where the aircraft will level off is very useful. But I find myself using mostly LVL/CH then fine-tune using V/S. 

And I'm a bit exhilarated at the moment as I finally was able to nail down the RNAV approach in PROF mode. Wow that took a lot of attempts and a lot of practice. The trick was to slow down very early, be fully configured with gear down and landing flaps before FAP as well as select “FINAL 3.00” on the TO/APPR page in the MCDU. This last step is vital for "arming" the final approach mode. Clicking on the line select key (again, I'm probably mixing Airbus and Boeing terminology) next to "FINAL X.XX" will change it to "VDEV=X". MDA has to be entered before doing this though. 

As per the iniBuild's tutorials, the aircraft can fly different types of non-precision approaches, including VOR approaches either in "raw" VOR mode or an RNAV overlay mode. Common to all these approaches is the above procedure - fully configured before FAP. Also the autothrust logic is different than ILS approaches as autothrottle has to be deactivated on final approach. Unfortunately I haven't been able to find a key bind for A/T off in MSFS. 

 

I am having a blast in the A310, Performance seems on par with the Fenix, Consistent 50fps @ 50Mhz refresh rate. 

I have completed a few ILS approaches now (Currently enroute to LEIB from EGCN) Will have to try an RNAV in the very near future for sure 

Sometimes the A310 will refuse to follow the glide scope. I have approach armed, AP1 & 2 enabled, it will intercept the glidescope, but then keep on going at the same altitude. G/S will stay as blue on the display.

Edited November 24, 20223 yr by Tuskin38