Hi guys,I have a small question about the Pmdg B744.I would like to know which flight mode I should use while doing a normal descend to the airport I want to land on?I am new to the B747-400(used to fly the A340-300)and there are several descend modes like VNAV SPD,VNAV PTH or VNAV ALT.Hope you guys can help me.Thanks in advance.

Hi there.What I always do is the following! (And it can be different when flying online in controlled airspace)This is within controlled airspace.I begin my descend with VNAV PTH, this is because the airplane will descend nice and easy. I only have to reset my MCP altitude, and it will go.When getting below FL220 I change the speed to 290, and descend further with FL CH, or if ATC requests a V/S, I descend with V/S.In the USA I descend first with FL CH untill I am 1000ft above the requested altitude, then I continue to descend the last 1000ft with V/S 500ft/mI continue with FL CH and V/S untill I have reached my LOC capture altitude.If ATC however asks me to cross an intersection at an altitude (And the FMC has something difrent), I will descend with V/S so that I know I will cross that intersection at the requested altitude.When I am flying in uncontrolled airspaces, I will follow the patch of the FMC with VNAV PTH, untill I reached the TRA Level. From here I start to descend with FL CH.This is because there isn't any ATC around that will change the plan of the FMC. So I can allow the FMC to do it his way, to have a nice an easy descend.

I'm using Radar Contact and I use V/S for descents.louross.

>Hi guys,I have a small question about the Pmdg B744.>I would like to know which flight mode I should use while>doing a normal descend to the airport I want to land on?>I am new to the B747-400(used to fly the A340-300)and there>are several descend modes like VNAV SPD,VNAV PTH or VNAV ALT.>Hope you guys can help me.>Thanks in advance. As in real life, you have many options to achieve the same result. Prior to the top of descent or drop point reset the MCP to a lower than crz altitude, it does not matter which, you can set it to a restriction down the path (perfered) or the FAF altitude. For flight simming, using the default mode (VNAV PATH) is my choice. Remember though that you will not want to take VNAV to the floor, what you want to do is to capture the G/S (another vertical pitch mode) so knowing when to expect to catch the G/S and at what altitude is a must. This way you have full control of the speed on approach while you are setting flaps etc. You can also use V/S but this takes more pactice ;P[h4]Randy J. Smith[/h4]AMD 64 4000+|ASUS K8V DELUXE|SAPPHIRE ATI X800XT PE|MUNCHKIN 3200|80 gig SATA|DELL 1905FP 19" LCD|TRACKir PRO|PFC JEPPESEN MOONEY YOKE|CH PRO PEDALS|