So this Flight Director

[Tonic Please]

Hi all. Reading a previous post running here about FDs, it made me wonder what a flight director actually tells you? I'm 120 PPL but some further reading of ATPL stuff for leisure (and hopeful use one day!), but, thinking about it, I actually have no idea why you need/have a FD on your ND!

I anxiously await responses :)

Dan

[BOAC]

TP - suggest you start here (from google)? (http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/aero/FltDirS.htm). NB The copyright notice on the site and come back when you have any more questions.

[Tonic Please]

Thanks for the link BOAC. I know it was the guide bar and I thought it directed the pilot when flying manually, but did not realised the "Flight DIrector" was actually a set of various parts of the Primary Flight DIsplay.

I read that (in that other topic running about FDs) some pilots find it difficult to fly without FD guidance. Upon initial assumptions, thats quite a worrying thing. Why do they have this trouble? I'd have thought a commercial jet pilot could fly without some FD infront of them (FD meaning the little cross bar/V to guide them).

Is this nor what they did with their PPL/CPL and all other licenses before jet type ratings?

Not fishing just curious.

[BOAC]

I think this topic is best left to a 'training pilot' to answer but it is very common for airlines to 'train' their pilots to follow a 'correctly programmed' F/D above all else. One hopes that basic skills/commonsense are not lost in the process. How long before even the humble 152 has a f/d, anyway?

[superpilut]

It's not extremely difficult to fly "raw data" (means without flightdirector), but it means you'll have to figure out every windcorrectionangle, pitch for every speed etc.
This means you spend a lot of effort on basic flying. There's of course a million reasons why you would like to simplify this for the pilot. And that's what the Flight Director is doing.
Depending on the type it will show you a different thing. Existing are the "moustache" and the "crosshairs".
The moustache looks like.. well? Indeed!
Meaning you're airplane looks like a 3d triangle which you maneuver in the moustache, It will give you exactly the bank and pitch it requires for what you want you commanded him in the first place.
The bars are a vertical and horizontal line, which indicate a perfect cross when flying the profile.
Meaning; even in a climbing turn, it should indicate this cross, as it indicates a rate. So if the vertical bar is moving to the right, you'll have to give some more bank.
This system expects the pilot to better know the basic attitudes then the moustache.
Main thing is it takes away some workload, during manual flight, and is a good visualisation of what you're teling the autopilot what to do when flying on automatic.

Ask again if you don't get something, because I know I'm not a hero in explaining stuff!
:ok:




edit for multiple typos!

[Tonic Please]

No no thats a perfect response.

I does do what I thought it did, to a degree. But, I had no foundations to be confident in my thoughts.

Its bloody clever! Is it connected to the FMC? MCP? Does it work with autopilot turned off? Come on by itself when it knows you're about to take off? I am aware of an FD switch on the MCP.

[superpilut]

yes, yes, yes and, well depending on ac type. :)

[Tonic Please]

:} Thanks! Can't wait to start these ATPLs next year.

Didn't think you'd hear anybody say THAT did you?

[superpilut]

Wait 'till you're in the middle of it..:yuk:

Enjoy, and happy that I was of bit of assistance!
Cheers.