4/25/2018 Boeing 757 Automatic Flight :: AFDS

Automatic Flight - AFDS

Amendment: Boeing Flight Operations In-Service Activities Report 93-03 (Autothrottle System Operation in the Flight Level
Change Mode) included.

Limitations - Automatic Flight

Limitations - Autoland

INTRODUCTION

The Autoflight System (AFS) consists of the:

Autopilot Flight Director System Autothrottle system (A/T)

(AFDS)
 

The Mode Control Panel (MCP) and Flight Management Computer (FMC) control the AFDS and, with the
Thrust Mode Select Panel (TMSP), the Autothrottle system to perform climb, cruise and descent.

AUTOPILOT FLIGHT DIRECTOR SYSTEM

The AFDS consists of three Flight Control Computers (FCCs) and the MCP.
The MCP provides control of the autopilot, flight director, Altitude Alert, and Autothrottle systems. The MCP
selects and activates AFDS modes, and establishes altitudes, speeds, and climb/descent profiles.
FLIGHT CONTROL COMPUTERS
The three FCCs, left, center, and right, control
separate hydraulically powered autopilot control
servos to operate flight controls. The autopilot
controls ailerons and elevators. Rudder commands
are added only during a multiple autopilot
approach, landing and rollout. Nose wheel steering
is also added during rollout from an automatic
landing. During an ILS approach with all three
autopilots engaged, separate electrical sources
power the three FCCs.
Autopilot
engagement BOEING On certain aircraft, the
requires at least Captains altimeter settings are
followed irrespective of autopilot
two operable
selection. For further information
FCCs. see the Air Data section.
Commands from
the two FCCs
are compared to prevent one FCC from commanding an autopilot hardover. The left AC bus normally
powers the left and center FCCs except during Autoland operations after Bus Isolation occurs. When the
electrical busses are isolated for an automatic Landing, the center FCC receives power from the Hot Battery
Bus and Standby Inverter. If Left AC Bus power is lost inflight, the left and center FCCs will be unpowered.
With only the right FCC powered, no autopilots can be engaged; however, the right flight director will
operate.
The FCCs also provide inputs for AFDS operating mode displays and Flight Director commands on the
EADI.

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MCP SWITCHES

Mode Control Panel

[click on an area for more information]

MCP switches select automatic flight control and flight director modes. A light in the lower half of the
switch illuminates to indicate the mode is armed or active. Respective roll and pitch flight mode
annunciations on the FMA will also display to indicate mode engagement. Autothrottle modes are discussed
later in this section.
Most modes activate with a single push. These modes include:

Flight level change (FLCH). Vertical speed (V/S).

Heading hold (HDG HOLD). Altitude hold (ALT HOLD).
Heading select (HDG SEL).
 

Other modes arm or activate with a single push. These modes are:

Lateral navigation (LNAV).

Vertical navigation (VNAV). Back course localizer (B/CRS).

Localizer only (LOC).

Control wheel steering (CWS).
ILS Approach (APP).
 

All modes deactivate by disengaging the Autopilot and turning both Flight Directors off. After localizer and
glideslope capture, the localizer and glideslope modes can only be deactivated by disengaging the autopilot
and turning both flight directors off or by selecting GA mode. When armed, VNAV, LNAV, LOC, B/CRS and
APP modes can be disarmed by pushing the mode switch a second time.
Desired target values can be selected on the MCP for:
Airspeed.
Mach.
Heading.
Vertical speed.
Altitude.
All parameters except vertical speed can be preselected before autopilot and/or flight director engagement.

AUTOPILOT ENGAGEMENT

Autopilot engagement requires at least two FCCs and selecting one of the MCP autopilot engage switches
to CMD .

Autopilot engagement requires at least one FCC and selecting one of the MCP autopilot engage switches to
CMD .

AUTOPILOT DISENGAGEMENT

Normal autopilot disengagement is through either control wheel autopilot disengage

switch.

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The autopilots can also be disengaged by the MCP autopilot disengage bar.
The A/P DISC light illuminates and the EICAS warning message AUTOPILOT DISC displays when the
autopilot has been manually or automatically disconnected.

AFDS FAILURES

During single autopilot operation, failures affecting the active mode annunciate on the
FMA. If the failure affects only the active mode:
The autopilot remains engaged in an attitude-stabilizing mode.
An amber line is drawn through the mode annunciation.
The AUTO PILOT light illuminates.
The EICAS caution message AUTOPILOT displays.
If unwanted operation is noticed or when an autopilot failure is annunciated the autopilot should be
disconnected and the airplane flown manually.
Failures affecting all autopilot modes result in an autopilot disengagement accompanied by an aural
warning. Depending on the system failure, it may be possible to re-engage an autopilot by pushing the
autopilot engage switch.

FLIGHT DIRECTOR DISPLAY See also: EADI

Flight director steering indications normally display any time the related
F/D switch is ON.
The steering indications are also displayed when the related flight director switch is OFF and a go-around
switch is pushed, if airspeed is greater than 80 knots and the flaps are not retracted. In this case, the flight
director display can be removed by cycling the respective flight director switch on and then off.
A flight director failure in either pitch or roll causes the respective steering bars to disappear. If both axes
become unusable, both command bars disappear.

AFDS FLIGHT MODE ANNUNCIATIONS

Flight mode annunciations are displayed on the EADI. Mode annunciations from left to right are:

AFDS
Autothrottle Pitch Roll
status
Active modes display at the top of the flight mode annunciation boxes in large green letters. Armed modes
(except for TO on the ground and GA in flight) display in smaller white letters at the bottom of the fight
mode annunciator boxes. When a mode changes, the new active mode is highlighted with a green rectangle
around it for several seconds.
Notes:
F/S appears only when Autothrottle is disengaged, AFDS is not operating in a speed mode (FLCH or
GA) and the present airspeed is approaching either SPD LIM, ALPHA or FLAP LIM.
An amber horizontal line is drawn through the appropriate pitch or roll mode word when a flight mode
fault is detected.
AFDS/Autothrottle mode changes are emphasized for 10 seconds by a box (green) drawn around the
word.

AUTOTHROTTLE MODES

FMA Autothrottle annunciations are:

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EPR - Autothrottle controlling to the selected EPR reference thrust.

SPD - Autothrottle controlling thrust to maintain speed selected in IAS/MACH or, if VNAV engaged,
the speed as programmed by the FMC.
IDLE - Autothrottle is reducing or has reduced thrust to idle. It may engage in a VNAV descent. It will,
after FLARE is engaged.
THR HOLD - Thrust levers remain in existing position or where manually placed. The Autothrottle
servos are de-energized.
FLCH - Autothrottle controlling to a maximum of the selected mode reference thrust during climb,
and to a minimum thrust during descent.
GA - Autothrottle controlling to a maximum reference thrust to maintain a climb rate of at least 2000
fpm. If both flight directors and the autopilot are off, Autothrottle controls to go-around reference
thrust subject to flap and VMO limit speeds.

ROLL MODES

Roll annunciations are:

LNAV
Arm LNAV by pushing the LNAV switch. The light illuminates and LNAV annunciates on the
FMA roll mode annunciator in white characters above / below the current roll mode.
LNAV (armed) - LNAV is armed to activate when parameters are met.
LNAV (active) - LNAV activates when in position to turn onto the active route leg. In flight,
selection causes immediate activation if within 2½ nm of the active leg.
HDG
HDG SEL (active) - airplane turns to or maintains the heading selected in the MCP heading
window.
HDG HOLD (active) - AFDS holds present heading. When turning, AFDS holds the heading
reached after rolling wings level.
ATT

ATT (active) - when the autopilot is first engaged or the flight director is first turned on in
flight, AFDS holds a bank angle between 5 and 30 degrees and will not roll to wings level.
When the bank angle is less than 5 degrees, AFDS returns to wings level HDG HOLD .
When the bank angle is greater than 30 degrees, AFDS returns to 30 degrees of bank.
LOC
LOC (armed). AFDS captures the localizer when within range and within 120 degrees of
the localizer course.
LOC (active). AFDS follows the localizer course.
B/CRS

B/CRS (armed). AFDS is armed to capture and track inbound on back course of localizer
after localizer capture.
B/CRS (active). AFDS tracks inbound on back course of localizer.
TO
On the ground, TO annunciates by selecting either F/D switch ON when both flight
directors are OFF
TO roll and pitch guidance become active at lift-off.

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GA
In flight, go-around arms with flaps out of up or at glideslope capture. There is no flight
mode annunciation for go-around armed in flight; although the reference thrust limit
changes to GA. Go-around is activated in flight by pushing a GA switch. The roll steering
indication provides guidance to maintain the ground track present at mode engagement.
Pushing either GA switch:
Automatic arming occurs with glideslope capture or extension of wing flaps.
Engages AFDS and Autothrottle in GA mode if previously armed.
Provides windshear guidance during GA mode if previously armed.
If Flight Director is OFF, activates Flight Director in GA mode.
Cancels all thrust de-rates if selected after take-off.

ROLLOUT
ROLLOUT (armed). Displays below 1500 feet Radio Altitude and activates below 5 feet.
ROLLOUT (active). After touchdown, AFDS uses rudder and nose wheel steering to steer
the airplane on the localizer centerline.

PITCH MODES

Pitch annunciations are:

TO
On the ground, TO annunciates by selecting either F/D switch ON when both flight directors
are OFF. The flight director pitch bar indicates an initial pitch of approximately eight degrees
up.
After takeoff, the AFDS commands a pitch attitude to maintain:
Pitch command greater of V2 + 15 or lift-off speed + 15.
If current airspeed remains above the target speed for 5 seconds, target airspeed resets to
current airspeed, to a maximum of V2 + 25 knots.
IAS/MACH window speed if IAS/MACH window speed is changed to a speed greater than
the target speed.
Note: AFDS uses the speed set in the IAS/MACH window prior to takeoff for V2.
GA
After the reference thrust limit changes from takeoff to climb, GA arms whenever:
flaps are out of up or
at glideslope capture
When a go-around is initiated the commanded speed is the MCP IAS/MACH window or current
airspeed, whichever is higher.
If the airspeed increases and remains above the initial target airspeed for five seconds, target
airspeed resets to current airspeed to a maximum of the IAS/MACH window speed plus 25
knots.
If airspeed at initiation of go-around is greater than IAS/MACH window plus 25 knots, that
speed is maintained. GA displays as the reference thrust limit on the primary EICAS engine
display.
VNAV
Arm VNAV by pushing the VNAV switch. The light illuminates and VNAV annunciates on the
FMA pitch mode annunciator in white characters above / below the current pitch mode.

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VNAV provides pitch commands to maintain the FMC computed airspeed/path:

VNAV SPD (active) - the AFDS maintains the FMC speed displayed on the EADI and/or the
CDU CLIMB or DESCENT pages. During speed intervention, use the MCP IAS/MACH
selector to manually set the speed.
VNAV PTH (active) - the AFDS maintains FMC altitude or descent path with pitch
commands. For a non-entered headwind, thrust may increase to maintain the VNAV
descent path. If the MCP altitude window is set to the current cruise altitude as the airplane
approaches the top of descent, the CDU scratchpad message RESET MCP ALT displays.

VNAV ALT (active) - when a conflict occurs between the NAV profile and the MCP altitude,
the airplane levels and the pitch flight mode annunciations becomes VNAV ALT. VNAV ALT
maintains altitude
When a VNAV descent is initiated before the top of descent ( T/D ) and the airplane descent
path subsequently intercepts the VNAV descent path, the pitch annunciation changes from
VNAV SPD to VNAV PTH .
V/S
Pushing the V/S switch opens the vertical speed window and displays the current vertical
speed. It also opens the IAS/MACH window (if blanked). Pitch commands maintain the rate of
climb or descent selected in the V/S window.
SPD
Pushing the SPD switch opens the IAS/MACH window (if blanked). Pitch commands maintain
IAS/MACH window airspeed or Mach.
ALT CAP
A transition manoeuvre entered automatically from a V/S, FLCH, or VNAV climb or descent to
selected MCP altitude. Engages but does not annunciate during VNAV transition.
ALT HOLD
Altitude Hold mode is activated by:
Pushing the MCP altitude HOLD switch or
Capturing the selected altitude from a V/S or FLCH climb or descent
G/S
Autopilot flight director system follows the ILS glideslope.
FLARE
FLARE (armed) - during Autoland, flare displays below 1500 feet Radio Altitude.
FLARE (active) - during Autoland, flare activates at 45 feet Radio Altitude. FLARE
deactivates at touchdown and the nose wheel smoothly lowers to the runway.

© CRJ Resets.ca 2009

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