Originally Posted by
ga_trojan
A/T on most other aircraft built in the last 30 years remain on and you only have to push a button or move the thrust levers in the case of Airbus to set GA Thrust. Why can't the 737 be that simple? And yes it may actually be a policy issue rather than system design.
If you set some sort of 'average' N1 figure for a reduced ROC GA and something happened as a consequence I would suggest it would not look good in the subsequent safety investigation.
I have asked around about this very issue and had a look at the technical forums on PPRUNE and I am not convinced that you can just go and set 90% and off you go. Best solution I came up with and which C &T seem to agree on is to set the bug then get the A/T back in when you can and let it do the 1000-2000fpm bit.
The 737 is that simple, once you select speed on the approach. Autothrottle goes to arm mode, you move the thrust levers manually but if you press TOGA you get go-around thrust.
And as for the findings of the subsequent safety investigation, they would be that the go around had been initiated in accordance with the company SOPs, as written in the OPS manual and as trained by the company training department in the simulator. It works, and as much as I admire PPRUNE as a source of information I am happy to fly the aircraft in accordance with company SOPs.