09 Autoflight Concepts

Question 1

With regards to flight navigation what do the following refer to:

• Lateral navigation
• Vertical navigation

Answer 1

• LNAV: The AC ability to fly to the destination using a series of waypoints (known as lateral navigation)
• VNAV: The AC ability to fly the vertical profile of the planned route (known as vertical navigation)

Question 2

What is the function of the Flight Director System (FDS)?

Answer 2

• Calculates the changes in pitch and roll required to stay on the desired track
• Instructions of what is required are represented on the PFD as magenta bars

Question 3

What does FMA stand for?

Answer 3

Flight Mode Annunciator

Question 4

What do the three boxes on the FMA show?

Answer 4

(From left to right)

• Auto-throttle mode (speed navigation)
• Roll mode (lateral navigation)
• Pitch mode (vertical navigation)

Question 5

On the FMA, what does it mean when the text is coloured:

• Green
• White

Answer 5

• Green: Currently active mode
• White: Mode which is armed and ready. Once the correct conditions have been met, this will replace the current mode as the active mode

Question 6

The functions of the AP related to stabilisation are?

Answer 6

• Pitch attitude holding

- Horizontal wing holding