What would be the difference between heading mode and lateral navigation mode?
Also i would like to know what the difference between these two modes; Level change, Vertical navigation?
Starlionblue From Hong Kong, joined Feb 2004, 15870 posts, RR: 66 Reply 1, posted (3 months 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 1347 times:
While there are no doubt nuances, as I understand it the differences you are asking about have to do if the autopilot is getting its input directly on the autopilot panel ("go here") or following a profile from the flight management computer. The equivalent on a simpler aircraft would be if the autopilot is following the heading bug or getting an input from a GPS.
Quoting Novice (Thread starter): What would be the difference between heading mode and lateral navigation mode?
Heading mode follows a heading, for example 270 degrees. Lateral navigation follows a lateral navigation profile from the FMC, for example a route with waypoints.
Quoting Novice (Thread starter): Also i would like to know what the difference between these two modes; Level change, Vertical navigation?
Level change is used to change between two altitudes. Vertical navigation follows a vertical navigation profile from the FMC, for example a step climb.
"There are no stupid questions, but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots." - from Citadel by John Ringo
horstroad From Germany, joined Apr 2010, 188 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (3 months 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 1344 times:
1 follows a certain heading for example 340°
2 follows the route you entered in your FMS
3 follows the signal to or from a VOR/LOC, frequency might be entered manually or given by the FMS
4 holds the altitude while you have lateral control
5 holds vertical speed until you intercept the selected altitude
6 climbs/descends to the selected altitude while holding the selected speed. sets thrust to maximum in selected mode and adjusts pitch
7 VNAV follows the vertical component of the route entered in the FMS (climb/descend sequences)
8 follows glide slope and localizer to the runway and auto lands if available
might not be 100% correct... I'm just a hobby pilot... but it might give a basic overview
Mir From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 19712 posts, RR: 56 Reply 6, posted (3 months 3 days 20 hours ago) and read 1125 times:
Quoting horstroad (Reply 2): 6 climbs/descends to the selected altitude while holding the selected speed. sets thrust to maximum in selected mode and adjusts pitch
Only if you have autothrottles. If you don't have autothrottles, FLC mode will just work with whatever thrust the airplane is putting out. Which creates some humorous situations when people try to control the speed with the throttles while in FLC mode, and then wonder why the airplane isn't climbing.
-Mir
7 billion, one nation, imagination...it's a beautiful day
Pihero From France, joined Jan 2005, 3496 posts, RR: 72 Reply 7, posted (3 months 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 1071 times:
A quick course non Airbii :
Two axises : Lateral and Vertical
One autothrust.
Two ways of selection : either "managed" or " selected"
Soooo...
LATERAL
1/ Managed
- Nav ; App Nav ( that's approach nav )
- LOC
- RWY
- RWY TRK
- GA TRK ( go-around track , the prajectory for a missed approach )
- ROLL OUT ( Guidance on the runway at the end of an autoland )
2/ Selected
- HDG / TRK
VERTICAL
- SRS (Speed reference system, workis with a set thrust, normally TOGA )
- Climb / Descent ( equivalent to B's VNAV) where we follow a climb or a descent profile as computed by the guidance system.
- ALT and ALT CRZ ( the latter confirms we'ra foillowing the computed and stored level.
- G/S, pendant tto LOC
- FInal ; Final APP
- Flare
SPEED
- Managed function of FMGS program...
- Selected
For manual selections :
LATERAL
- HDG / TRK
VERTICAL
- Open CLB
- Openj DES ( both CLB and DES are the equivalent of B's LVL CHG )
- VS / FPA
I was already preparing a post to give an overview of the Airbus systems and I am sure it would not have been so complete.
On the other hand Pihero also misses one (important) autoflight mode:
At 400ft AAL the autoflight changes from G/S and LOC into LAND mode.
The LAND mode, together with the FLARE mode already mentioned by Pihero, is a so called common mode, as it includes lateral and vertical guidance.
"The horizon of many people is a circle with zero radius which they call their point of view." - Albert Einstein
Pihero From France, joined Jan 2005, 3496 posts, RR: 72 Reply 9, posted (3 months 3 days 4 hours ago) and read 913 times:
Quoting glen (Reply 8): The LAND mode, together with the FLARE mode already mentioned by Pihero, is a so called common mode, as it includes lateral and vertical guidance.
You're correct, of course
I also omitted, this time voluntarily, all the armed modes - a.k.a the * modes - in order not to confuse.
Sponsor Message: 
From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2012, 89 posts, 
From Hong Kong, joined Feb 2004, 15870 posts, 
From Germany, joined Apr 2010, 188 posts, 
From Slovakia, joined Aug 2005, 1111 posts, 
From Bahrain, joined Jul 2011, 162 posts, 
From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 19712 posts, 
From France, joined Jan 2005, 3496 posts, 
From Switzerland, joined Jun 2005, 199 posts, 
Sponsor Message: 
Printer friendly format
