[QUOTE=Hugh Betcha;1235411]
Let the airplane manage the profile. After a while... (when your employee number gets higher than the Dow Jones Average) hand flying a vertical speed constant angle of descent from 380 to 6000 (for the pax comfort) won't seem so important to you to prove you are an aviator.
[QUOTE]
Originally Posted by
Normann
I especially love the DES mode when you start slightly above profile and the airplane immediately makes a hard nose over until the top of the speed bracket, followed by a hard pull up when it captures the profile seconds later. It is really useful when you haul peeps to MCO. It prepares them for the roller coasters. Another application is going to LAS from say ORD when the galley is sold out and we have a handful of drunks. They love to start the Vegas party early, puking on short final comes natural.
VS gives you the best ride and the best prediction about level off. I would not use it when flying a complex arrival with many step downs or when there are other distracting factors like fatigue. But it is by far the best mode to recapture the profile then reengage DES unless you are really high. It is more work for sure. But lately with the 320 software I have seen so many anomalies that I must watch DES mode like a hawk. You just have to.
I think both ways are appropriate for different situations. Norm, you zeroed in on several good exeptions.
New guys: You'll be fine as long as you watch what the airplane is doing (or not doing). It takes forever to start a climb or descent using 'managed'. Using vertical speed is fine unless you forget about it on the climb and get slow. Never stop being a pilot. However you are not flying an 'airplane' as such. You are flying a computer with wings, and sometimes it has a hard time figuring out top of descent, and generally has a hard time figuring out crossing restrictions if you mess with the speed in any way. Usually it is when the computer waits to start optimal descent, and then during descent ATC ask for a different speed. It screws Fifi up something terrible. ALways use your 3 to 1 rule of thumb and keep ahead of the comput.... I mean airplane, and hand fly every once in a while when the minimums are high enough that even captains feel comfortable with it. Enjoy!