B737 NG autopilot disconnect

[Olov]

This may be quite a silly question, but..

Disconnecting the autopilot on final you get the disconnect horn sounding until you press again. So you keep on pressing. Everybody seem to press like a maniac for a while there. FO's as well as Captains.

Then, last week, I flew with a captain who must have disconnected in some magical way because the sound stopped immediately. I asked him how but he just smiled and said some words about experience...

You see what I mean? The question is, what's the trick, how do you disconnect the autopilot and get the warning horn to stop so quickly? It sure gives a cool impression. :)

Thanks and best regards from,

Olov
Pressing a lot when disconnecting

[FlapsOne]

The key is 2 distinct presses.

Most people apply a computer mouse-like double click and the second one is totally ignored. So they instantly apply several more. Boeing machinery can't recognise anything that quickly.

Click brief pause Click - and you should only get one of those stupid sirens going off.

[john_tullamarine]

... before dismissing the warnings as stupid, do revisit the Everglades accident .. which led to their introduction ..

[regor]

Regardless of how good your 'double clicking' technique is, I believe Mr Boeing has deliberately designed the aural warning to remain active for at least 3 seconds even if the second push has occurred.

The idea being, that you cannot disconnect the A/P without being aware.

[Rumbo de Pista]

Always disconnect while your colleague is transmitting on the RTF, and as far from the airport as possible (Ideally about FL150). This gives other pilots the impression that someone is doing some real flying, for a change, instead of being so frightened by SESMA and its cousins that they won't touch the yoke! In the long term, this might help slow the rate at which our profession is devalued and deskilled, by reminding people that their little green books mean they are qualified to pole the thing around the sky.

'Pilot' n. a person who operates the flying controls of an aircraft