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Hi Take a look at the picture included. It's a VOR approach chart RWY 11 EPGD. Can this approach be performed using LVL change button down to minimums and taking over manually from there? Like LVL change from 3500ft at UVRIK down to GD502, 2500ft (762m), then LVL change at FAF down to 1000ft (325m) [minimums]. Or what would be a proper way to perform this VOR approach. geir

Since there's been some good discussions on descents lately, I thought I'd add two more RW examples that we used on this last trip. Ex. 1 SEA-DEN on the MOLTN2. We were at cruise at FL370 and Denver Center wanted us to "Descend now to FL320, pilot's discretion FL240." There are many ways to do this, but me having the attention span that I do, I like to have it ready now. Here's a clean/smooth way of doing it: Reset the MCP to FL240 Enter a new cruise alt of FL320 If you're in VNAV PATH, the plane will descend and level at FL320 and at the T/D, it will start down to FL240. Sit back, enjoy the Pike Place, black, no sugar. Ex. 2 DEN-SEA on the CHINS9. We're inside HUMPP, level at 15,000 and 270kts for AUBRN at 12,000 and 250kts. Since SEA wasn't too busy, they had us descend to 10,000. That way you get a little bit shorter downwind. We still needed to slow for 250 at AUBRN, but the 12,000 restriction was gone. Here's what I did: Set the MCP to 10,000 LVL CHG at the current 270kts Let the nose pitch down and V/S stabilize (around 2000fpm) V/S (now it locks in that 2000fps) Reset the MCP to 250kts Once the jet levels at 10,000, the speed slows to 250 Now, I could have done this with VNAV, but this was easy and smooth. I needed to reduce the V/S a bit as we descended to 1700fpm so the jet maintained 270. Had I been doing a VNAV approach, I probably would have staying in VNAV, but from this point it was all vectors, so I left VNAV behind for the day. That's just how we did it, your mileage may vary.

Hello, I am a relatively recent owner of the NGX and it's a joy to fly (with FS2Crew). I have also read the manuals (to the best extent that I could comprehend) and done the NGX tutorials as well as Tom Risager's tutorial. In order to make sure I am mirroring the proper real-world procedures, I started watching the JustPlanes WestJet video and had a few questions about how to use MCP modes along with ATC instructions. Apologize if these questions seem basic in nature as I am trying to learn the aircraft plus proper SID/STAR procedures. Climb questions (with SID): I usually arm VNAV mode on the ground itself so that when I takeoff and select CMD A, the aircraft assumes VNAV responsibility after 400 ft or so, flies the SID and transitions all the way up to CRZ ALT. However, I noticed in the WestJet video that the Captain used LVL CHG to comply with ATC altitude instructions until about 9000ft and then switched to VNAV only after 9000 feet to climb under VNAV SPD. Is this normal? In a real-world SID departure, wouldn't the ATC controller basically be telling the pilot to fly the SID as per the chart and leave the pilot alone instead of giving altitude guidance? If you are in LVL CHG climb, I am assuming you have to constantly be changing your CLB speed on the MCP. Is the CLB speed derived from optimal CLB SPD calculated in the CLB page in the FMC? In the real-world, after the SID transition is over, what are typically the instructions from ATC? Do you normally hear "resume own navigation and " - at which point LNAV and VNAV SPD/PTH probably take you all the way upto CRZ or does ATC again start to give you altitude instructions all the way upto cruise? Descent questions (with STAR): Typically, when does ATC give you instructions to start descending from CRZ? I would guess this would be slightly before TOD as calculated by the FMC. Is the correct procedure then to use LVL CHG again to the new ATC cleared alttude and push DES NOW on the FMC as well? I am assuming the DES SPD calculated by the FMC would now be input on the MCP so that the aircraft follows the DES SPD in LVL CHG? Eventually with the LVL CHG mode we probably end up intercepting the vertical path and joining VNAV PTH again? The NGX tutorial 1 recommends descend in ALT INTV (to get out of VNAV ALT). Is this more or less common than LVL CHG and which would be used when? When does the pilot typically know from ATC which RWY and STAR to input in the FMC? Is this typically when the first descent is started or typically when you are handed over to approach? Descending down on LNAV and VNAV, I assume the ATC clears you to a STAR as you approach the first waypoint on the STAR. ATC probably says to fly the STAR as per the chart - is this understanding correct? If the STAR transitions into a FAF onto the RWY - I am guess ATC probably clears you straight in to land. However if the STAR ends some distance away from the FAF, ATC would give you vectors to the FAF - correct? How common is it for ATC to disregard the STAR and start giving you vectors to the RWY while in descend or under STAR? I saw that they did this on the Air Canada 777 video into Tokyo. ATC took over (even though aircraft was flying a STAR) and just started vectoring them with speed, altitude and heading instructions onto the RWY. I know these are a lot of questions and some of them may seem basic. Thanks again for your help!