Originally Posted by
Tee Emm
So you "reduce" the automation and see if that works. How long do you wait for reduced automation to give the desired result before gasp horror you actually are forced to fly the plane. I suggest that instead of "reducing" automation if it doesn't settle down, it would be prudent to disengage the automation immediately and seamlessly fly the plane where you want it to go.
This reducing the level of automation is the modern training speak for what you are saying, i.e. turn the magic off and make the plane do what you want it to.
The FAA and Boeing talk about 'levels' of automation from one to four. I think Airbus talks about similar levels with less automation being more 'direct'.
As Airbus says in their SOP treatise on 'Optimum Use of Automation':
At any time, if the aircraft does not follow the desired flight path and/or airspeed, do not hesitate to revert to a more direct level of automation, i.e.:
Revert from FMS-managed modes to selected modes; or,
Disconnect AP and follow FD guidance (if correct); or,
Disengage FD, select FPV (as available) and hand fly the aircraft, using raw data or visually (if in VMC); and/or,
Disengage the A/THR and control the thrust manually.
http://www.airbus.com/fileadmin/medi..._SOP_SEQ02.pdf
As usual, a lot of this philosophical stuff about levels of automation finds its way into the company pubs as CYA boilerplate paragraphs and filters down to the line through the training department.
On the particular KIX approach I was discussing earlier, you could go into a heading and vertical speed or altitude hold mode and let the plane settle down as it made the turn to intercept the ILS and then reselect LNAV/VNAV (on a Boeing) and then go to approach mode when the signal was stable.
You certainly could turn the autopilot off and hand fly the approach but recently that is somewhat frowned upon where I work since you had briefed a coupled approach.
Even following the glide path down with vertical speed if it doesn't capture for some reason is now considered a deviation from your planned procedure. I'm told that you should go missed, request holding, reassess your nav status, call the company and speak to a subject matter expert if required and rebrief the approach with reduced nav automation capability. You've got plenty of gas, right?
