I've been flying with some pilots lately who are dialing the MCP airspeed to get the N1 to match the Turb Penetration N1 from the FMC. That's with the A/T engaged.
To me, this is silly.
This is straight from the Boeing 737 AFM:
The recommended procedures for flight in severe turbulence are:
1. Air Speed
Target air speed should be approximately 280 KIAS or 0.76 Mach, whichever is lower. Severe turbulence will cause large and often rapid variations in indicated air speed. DO NOT CHASE THE AIR SPEED.
Note that it doesn't say climb and descent only - it's for cruise as well.
IRRenewal wrote:
but the whole point with turbulence penetration in the cruise is that there is no target airspeed. No target means no target to chase.
Note that Boeing calls it a "
Target air speed."
Why would Boeing say climb or descend at a specific
target speed, but in cruise, do whatever?
In cruise, either leave the A/T on and set 280/M.76
or turn it off and set the suggested N1 (which is the power setting for 280/M.76).
I'm all ears to differing opinions.