Oli From France, joined Jun 2005, 24 posts, RR: 0 Posted (7 years 6 months 2 weeks 2 days 6 hours ago) and read 3737 times:
Hi all,
On the MD80, you have to arm the altitude after you select it on the MCP. I would like to know why that is, since it seems pretty dangerous to me, the plane can fly higher or lower than what you requested if you forget to arm the altitude (even if there is an alarm).
Is is because it was technically impossible when it was designed (I do not really believe in this one).
Is it a pilot request ? If so, why ?
I also would like to know if pilots find this irritating or it does not matter to them ?
Jetlagged From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2005, 2452 posts, RR: 17 Reply 2, posted (7 years 6 months 2 weeks 2 days 1 hour ago) and read 3686 times:
I presume this is done as a safeguard against inadvertent altitude selection in IFR controlled airspace. It's quite normal to have to separately engage altitude select mode, whether in an MD, a Boeing or an Airbus. If you are already in altitude select mode then simply adjusting the altitude will change the reference with no need for a second selection.
The AP also needs to know how you are going to achieve the altitude change. Going from altitude hold to altitude select enables other modes, such as IAS or VS hold. On modern autopilots you can go straight to ALT SEL and IAS SEL using the Level Change mode (FLCH), which also puts the A/T in the correct mode too. Finally, you also have to provide a clear cue for the FMC to work with the new altitude.
The glass isn't half empty, or half full, it's twice as big as it needs to be.
Oli From France, joined Jun 2005, 24 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (7 years 5 months 2 weeks 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 3477 times:
The reason the MD system surprises me is that, on a Boeing, you select the altitude you want to fly at, then you select how you want to clime/descend (V/S, FL CH..).
In the MD, you have to select the altitude, arm the altidue, and then select how you want to descend/Climb. If you forget to arm the altitude, even though you selected it, you plane will go on climging, descending (there is a warning though).
I was wondering the reason for this extra step.
Jetlagged From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2005, 2452 posts, RR: 17 Reply 4, posted (7 years 5 months 2 weeks 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 3396 times:
If you go back further to the 747 Classic AP/FD you'll find three step logic there (select altitude, select vertical mode, select ALT SEL). Sometimes if you change vertical mode ALT SEL will trip off and have to be reselected. Easy to miss that too, unless you check the FMA.
The digital autopilot on the MD80 series does all kinds of things automatically, such as switching to ALT HOLD if you select zero V/S for example, so it's fairly user friendly. I've only ever "flown" MD82 and MD88 simulators, but I don't recall having to separately arm the altitude. Maybe I just didn't notice doing it. An MD80 pilot might know the answer.
The glass isn't half empty, or half full, it's twice as big as it needs to be.
FBU 4EVER! From Norway, joined Jan 2001, 998 posts, RR: 7 Reply 5, posted (7 years 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 3313 times:
Having to arm the selected altitude is a customer option I think.The MD-81/82/87 I fly for SAS arms the selected altitude automatically.This happens approx. 1 second after the altitude has been selected.Then I can choose mode of vertical movement: either V-nav,vertical speed or IAS in conjunction with appropriate thrust increase/decrease.
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