Originally Posted by GF
Yes, THRUST mode is speed on pitch, power is either idle or CLB, depending vertical direction.
That makes sense. Must be Canadian! In a real aeroplane that would be PITCH mode.
Originally Posted by Dave
if you have the AT controlling the approach speed what happens if you command more thrust? Does it let you move the throttles or do the throttles move but when you take your hand of them they try and restabilise at the commanded speed? In otherwords if you need a handful of go and need to manouvre hard both hands say to avoid another aircraft will it still try and go back to the command speed?
The speed, obviously, will not reduce because the autothrottle is holding it there, like the cruise control on your car. You don't put your foot on the accelerator when you start going up a hill, do you?
Why you'd want to slam on the power/go a lot faster to avoid another aeroplane is also a bit of a mystery. In any case, as soon as you started pulling (or pushing) in your dogfight, the AT would change the power to maintain the speed.
And yes, if you really need to override the AT, you can do so; just push or pull the throttles as you want. As soon as you let them go, the AT will set the power to achieve the speed target. And you can easily disconnect the AT if it goes ape on you.
Reading other contributors, it seems one big issue is "mixed operation" - manual flight with automatic thrust. Like Denti, I fly the baby Boing (738). It is either all manual flight or all automatic. We fly short haul with regular short legs so are in fairly recent hand-flying practice. I am still in the RHS and the 73 is the only airliner I have flown so bear that in mind when listening to my opinions.
It is becoming more apparent to me that the 737 is the
only airliner where it is recommended to disconnect both, and that seems to be because of the pitch-power coupling. There is absolutely no problem flying around with the AP out and AT in in other types (in mine, recommended), provided you monitor the speed; in fact it is a damn-sight easier to do visual manoeuvring handflying with the AT in than out.
What struck me was in the event of a single-engine approach it was prohibited (not just discouraged) to use the A/T system. (Don't know if same applies to the 717.)
No it doesn't.