auto pilot and landings

https://forum.flyawaysimulation.com/forum/topic/8080/ils-approach-guide-tutorial/

ILS approaches are where you use autopilot

and unless you have the "autoland feature" you must dissengage autopilot at what ever height desired.

I usally disengage at about 200 feet.

Hope this helped 😉 😉

how do i activate autoland and do all the jets come with this feature?

djcevera wrote:

how do i activate autoland and do all the jets come with this feature?

No, not all FS jets can autoland - in fact, none of the default aircraft has this feature. If you've downloaded something, check the documentation that came with it to see if autoland is available and how to set it up.

pmdg b737 has autoland and i use mine all the time. it's actually what's known as CATIIIb, not sure if it's b or c, but in the real world the airport and runway and airplane all have to be rated for that. with all the right settings in the cockpit it will take it all the way to flare and touchdown and deploy speedbrakes. it's actually pretty cool to watch from outside the aircraft. lots of heavy jets have this capability.

PMDG 747-400 has autoland capability...

real pilot don't use auto-pilot

heavy jets are not that difficult to land in FS.

SK8Z27 wrote:

. it's actually what's known as CATIIIb, not sure if it's b or c,

It's b. You are correct 🍻

VTBD wrote:

real pilot don't use auto-pilot.

hmmmm...yes, yes they do.

Yeah..Real world pilots use Autopilot...I am pretty much sure that the airlines SOP mandate that..
Now when to engage autopilot is a matter of airline to airline...They might not shoot the full approach using the autopilot..They do disengage it at some altitude and make a visual approach on having the approach stabilized and land the plane.. Again I am not a real world pilot..So it might not be entirely correct...May be some real world pilot would help us understand...

to_coolguys is correct. Autopilot(AP) usage criteria is slightly different depending on the airlines operation specifications(OP Specs). Normally the AP is not turned on until above 1,000 ft. AGL after takeoff. A malfunction of the AP could cause a crash if it occurs at very low altitude during the takeoff. During a normal ILS, about 200 ft. AGL. This coincides with the minimum altitude or decision height(DH) of the ILS.

Real world pilots use the AP much of the time. Normally the pilot can turn off the AP and hand fly whenever they want(excluding a CAT III approach). Some will hand fly until 10,000 ft. and hand fly once on the localizer(LOC) or visual approach. They use the AP, not because the aircrafts hard to fly but because it prevents you for getting fatigued during a long day of flying. It's used for safety reasons. Every pilot has to be prepared to hand fly the aircraft at any time, AP's break. If your not ready, they can kill you at low altitudes.

i've been a line mechanic for several major airlines and i can tell you pilots are not happy when their autopilot is not working. they will hand fly, but they are not happy about it.

SK8Z27 wrote:

i've been a line mechanic for several major airlines and i can tell you pilots are not happy when their autopilot is not working. they will hand fly, but they are not happy about it.

That is so true! If I had to put them in order of importance:
1. Autopilot
2. FMS/FMC
3. Auto pressurization
4. APU
🙂

true dat, that's why as a mechanic, you piss us off with silly reading light writeups, we'll take away your autopilot. "upon operational check of autopilot, found to be inop" ................................hahaha, just kidding, you have to be a complete pain in the arse before that happens!!!!

Most radio equipped aircraft have the ability to perform and autoland BUT not in the way you all keep discussing it as autoland in the truest sense of the word is a landing performed without human intervention and YES ALL radio equippped aircraft in FS9 at least can perform this function and it is labelled APP on the navigational array.

Set your approach on autopilot to be at the FAF (Final Approach Fix) at the correct altitude/speed/heading consistent with an approach for landing. Follow ATC instructions to line-up with the ILS on the landing runway and ensure VOR1/NAV1 at least is tuned to the runway ILS. I usually have NAV2/VOR2 tuned to the MAP VOR, and once established on the ILS press the APP button and the aircraft will follow the glideslope and centre-line accurately all the way down to the numbers (TDZ) and whilst some MAY flare most will just land on the runway correctly if a little heavy. The PSS performs this function very well including the landing flare.

So the true answer is YES but it all depends on your degree of autolanding.

that's true, but the aircraft on app hold doesn't flare for you, so you have to do that manually