Both pilots set the mda. A blue line appears and the airplane says “minimums” when it occurs. If the two sides are set differently the airplane says minimums going through the higher of the two altitudes.
Originally Posted by
Airbum
Just a question, do pilots just have to remember the min alt?
We set the LNAV/VNAV minimum in the FCP altitude capture window on the MD11 at my airline. personally I like it that way. If you become distracted the FD/Autoflight levels the aircraft and will not fly itself into the ground.
Going above the projected decent path angle in my mind is much less a risk then a decent below minimums. Both require the pilots to make a mistake. One just has a much higher chance of killing you.