58 minutes ago, Stearmandriver said:

Completely irrelevant to autoland.  You don't even need the FMC initialized, much less an approach loaded, much less a PARTICULAR approach loaded 😉.  It's useful for reference and would be done in reality for that reason (assuming an FMC was available, but zero are required), but just so you don't get confused here - the FMC has absolutely zero effect on the airplane's ability to fly an ILS or to autoland.  The airplane isn't using any information from the FMC at all.

Okay then its just that KSJCs ILS don't work correctly.  I think that is all op wanted to know.  I'm going to look into fixing it.

OP are you using this scenery? https://flightsim.to/file/5979/norman-y-mineta-san-jose-international-airport-ksjc

Edited February 11, 20251 yr by aniiran

3 hours ago, martinboehme said:

Small correction: The 97 feet should be set as radio minimums -- CAT II approaches use a decision height, not a decision altitude.

It was in the line above! I was just showing him where to set it.

3 hours ago, sloppysmusic said:

You should use the CAT II one in FMC for lower minimums as the 737 is certified down to 50 ft RA (radio altitude)I believe.

Set 97ft from chart on your BARO mins knob and the FO will announce APPROACHING MINIMUMS and MINIMUMS for you.

He'll need to click that from BARO to RA but I didn't want start a full tutorial!

1 hour ago, aniiran said:

Okay then its just that KSJCs ILS don't work correctly.  I think that is all op wanted to know.  I'm going to look into fixing it.

OP are you using this scenery? https://flightsim.to/file/5979/norman-y-mineta-san-jose-international-airport-ksjc

I don't think so.  I bought mine from here:
KSJC San Jose International Airport - Microsoft Flight Simulator - Orbx

Apologies in advance but I have lots of follow-up questions to clear up some assumptions and lingering questions:

1. When told to pay attention to "diamonds", this means to turn the knob to 'APP" in the EFIS panel (see picture below). Correct?
2. After STEPPING through the LEGS page to check for discontinuity, I can turn and leave the knob to 'APP' through-out the entire flight? Yes?
3. "Stepdowns" means the pilot has to stabilize the aircraft on the approach. But isn't this what the computer and ILS are supposed to do? 
4. The IAN approach is an option in the real 737. Is this correct?
5. In all my failed landings, not once did I get a missed approached alert (TOGA). Why?
6. IRL pilots use HGS (heading guidance or HUD) as an option only if available.  Correct?
7. On the EFIS panel, I can switch the Minimums button to "RADIO' and leave it there throughout the entire flight. Correct?
8. On the EFIS panel, the FPV button can be ignored and does not have to be used during auto-land. Correct?

I have the ORBX version as well.   

Okay I figured it out.  Go into your PMDG SETUP in the FMS. Go to Equipment and change AUTO LAND to FAIL OP.  

1 minute ago, aniiran said:

Okay I figured it out.  Go into your PMDG SETUP in the FMS. Go to Equipment and change AUTO LAND to FAIL OP.  

Doesn't matter.  Fail operational and fail passive autoland are two different types of autoland system, and they both work just fine.  There's no reason that changing from one to the other would make the airplane capable of auto landing if it weren't before.

Just now, Stearmandriver said:

Doesn't matter.  Fail operational and fail passive autoland are two different types of autoland system, and they both work just fine.  There's no reason that changing from one to the other would make the airplane capable of auto landing if it weren't before.

Well it does, have you tested it for yourself know-it-all?   Are you a programmer can you delve into the code for us? Or you just want to sit there and tell everyone how it should work?  

For some reason if you don't use FAIL OP you don't get annunciations. The airplane will auto land, but it never gives you annunciations of FLARE. In FAIL OP it will give you annunciations.

Here the airplane is performing an autoland but the annunciations do not work for some reason.  in FAIL OP they do. 

 

43 minutes ago, anavsun said:

1. When told to pay attention to "diamonds", this means to turn the knob to 'APP" in the EFIS panel (see picture below). Correct?
2. After STEPPING through the LEGS page to check for discontinuity, I can turn and leave the knob to 'APP' through-out the entire flight? Yes?
3. "Stepdowns" means the pilot has to stabilize the aircraft on the approach. But isn't this what the computer and ILS are supposed to do? 
4. The IAN approach is an option in the real 737. Is this correct?
5. In all my failed landings, not once did I get a missed approached alert (TOGA). Why?
6. IRL pilots use HGS (heading guidance or HUD) as an option only if available.  Correct?
7. On the EFIS panel, I can switch the Minimums button to "RADIO' and leave it there throughout the entire flight. Correct?
8. On the EFIS panel, the FPV button can be ignored and does not have to be used during auto-land. Correct?

1.  You can use the expanded approach mode that you describe but it's not necessary.  Look at your lateral and vertical deviation scales across the right side and the bottom of your artificial horizon.  When the pointers there are carats, you're looking at FMC guidance.  When you see either white or magenta diamonds in those scales, THAT'S when you select approach. 

2.  You can but it's irrelevant and probably not great for situational awareness. 

3.  Stepdowns refer to crossing altitudes at various fixes.  If you're following the glideslope (or a correctly coded VNAV path) down, it should meet these altitudes.  In reality, it's the pilot's job to ensure that happens and intervene as necessary, but who cares in the sim. 

4.  Kind of.  IAN is a real system but most Boeings are not equipped with it because it's fairly useless.  Discussing its reason for being gets into human factors and training issues related to inexperienced pilots and airlines trying to save money on training.  Don't worry about the "why" in the sim, just know that you're stuck with it in the PMDG.

5.  The airplane does not decide when to go around.  You're the pilot, that's on you. 

6.  Yes.  At my airline for instance, I can fly an autoland approach or a handflown AIII approach using the HGS (to a full cat III runway) down to 50ft AGL, or I can monitor an autoland with the AIII mode and get down to 30ft AGL.

7.  Sure but unimportant to making this work. 

8.  FPV is purely a convenience tool.  No need to ever use it for anything, though once you understand it you may find you like it.

12 minutes ago, aniiran said:

I have the ORBX version as well.   

Okay I figured it out.  Go into your PMDG SETUP in the FMS. Go to Equipment and change AUTO LAND to FAIL OP.  

Thanks. For the FAIL OP option, what kind of failures will it detect?

4 minutes ago, aniiran said:

Here the airplane is performing an autoland but the annunciations do not work for some reason.  in FAIL OP they do. 

The airplane is not performing an autoland in that picture.  Note the "single channel" autopilot mode on the FMA; this is telling you both autopilots are not engaged.  I'm willing to bet that was a pretty firm touchdown 😉.

Just now, Stearmandriver said:

The airplane is not performing an autoland in that picture.  Note the "single channel" autopilot mode on the FMA; this is telling you both autopilots are not engaged.  I'm willing to bet that was a pretty firm touchdown 😉.

YES IT IS!  It did a perfect Autoland. I'm telling you its a PMDG problem. GO TO KSJC and try it for yourself or .... off

3 minutes ago, anavsun said:

Thanks. For the FAIL OP option, what kind of failures will it detect?

it has noting to do with failures.  Just change it and try it. 

6 minutes ago, aniiran said:

Well it does, have you tested it for yourself know-it-all?   Are you a programmer can you delve into the code for us? Or you just want to sit there and tell everyone how it should work?  

I've tested it enough to know how both systems work, using our level D sims at work.  Our fleet is configured with fail passive autoland and so that's what I fly in the real airplane, but I've also taught on the fleet and so I've explored options in the sim for my own enjoyment. 

Fail passive very definitely works correctly in the PMDG and does give you appropriate autoland annunciations (which are different from fail operational, but you do get a flare annunciation).  

7 minutes ago, aniiran said:

Here the airplane is performing an autoland but the annunciations do not work for some reason.  in FAIL OP they do.

The video is not displaying for me. 😞

1 minute ago, anavsun said:

The video is not displaying for me. 😞

its not a video, its a picture.