Thanks everyone
I appreciate everyone's response to my questions. I am very interested in commercial aviation and I enjoy hearing from all of you who do this for real. Thanks to Bokomoko and Nosegear for clearing up the anti-ice questions for me and thank you Onehunga for the web link. This will be a great help.
Since everyone has been so helpful I hope you won't mind a few more questions that I have.
1. What is the difference between a CAT II ILS approach and a CAT III ILS approach and which does the 737 use?
2. During an ILS landing on the flight simulator (Microsoft's, that is) I press the VOR/LOC as I turn towards the localizer and then adjust my Vspeeds and flaps as required. Once the glideslope becomes active I press the APP switch and the command B autopilot so that both autopilots are engaged. The problem I am having is that once I capture the glide slope the plane takes a gut-wrenching dip and often falls below the glideslope with a GPWS warning about "glideslope". Sometimes the speed will stabilise the aircraft and sometimes it won't. Do you encounter the same activity when the real bird captures the glideslope? Should I press the APP switch later than I do? Any help and/or description of what you do for real would be greatly appreciated.
3. What procedure(s) do you do before your T/D to make the 737 descend to its first altitude while engaged in VNAV? What I mean is on the descent page of the FMS there is a line select item called "capture". When is this used (or if at all)? I often press the "capture" about 10nm from the T/D and then change the altitude in the MCP. Sometimes the plane will descend on its own and sometimes I will pass the T/D and will have to press the VNAV switch again to engage. What is the correct procedure?
That's it for now. I hope I'm not overstaying my welcome with all of you. I am very aware that I am simply a "wannabe" but I still have the flying bug, whether real or simulated.
Cheers,
Michael