2StgTurbine

So I am a fan of climbing via pitch mode with the autopilot to maintain my company’s climb profile. Most of my coworkers use vertical speed and a few use speed hold.

Although the climb profile my company uses is based on airspeed, climbing in speed hold creates an uncomfortable ride because the aircraft will make large pitch changes to maintain the exact selected airspeed. I like to select the pitch associated with my desired airspeed so that when there is a small deviation from my desired airspeed, I control the correction. Some like to use vertical speed to do that, but I think it takes longer for the aircraft to respond to vertical speed changes, the vertical speed value associated with an airspeed constantly changes with altitude, you can only select increments of 100 fpm, and the aircraft will still make large pitch changes to chase the selected vertical speed.

I have noticed aircraft respond more directly when in pitch mode, climbing around 4 degrees nose up holds the desired airspeed at nearly all altitudes for my aircraft, you can make changes in very small increments, and the aircraft pitch only changes when you command it. When I hand flying the climb profile I look at my airspeed and then I look at the attitude indicator to adjust the pitch to maintain my desired airspeed, not the VSI to change my rate of climb.

If someone has a good reason to use other vertical modes or why certain modes are bad, I am interested.

DontRelaxScope

Speed to 10,000. VS the rest of the way up. Don't have anything against Pitch I have just always used VS.

I find it interesting you see pitch changes with VS. I know it changes a little bit but I can never "feel" it because it is so subtle. At the end of the day all I care about is flying so the passengers only feel minimal changes (hence why I don't use speed after 10,000).

2StgTurbine

When I say I can feel the vertical speed change I mean when you are 10 knots slow and you dial the VS back a few hundred fpm. I don't feel it when it is left at a constant rate.

jackal24

You need more precision than that?

I use VS mode up high. The oscillations in speed mode are too much and our FCM specifically bars the use of pitch mode.

ERJF15

200 kts to 8500 then VS at 1000 fpm accelerating to 290 kts (from small airport). Then 1500-2000 fpm VS until 5 degrees of pitch, then I select PIT for the rest of the way up. I can get up on the Mach faster and can tell how well the airplane (EMB-145) will perform during the climb. I don't like to slow below 220 kts indicated in the climb because it takes too long to get it back when we level-off. Usually during level-off at 36 or 37, the airplane is at 1000 fpm anyway.

When climbing away from a busy airport, FLC (240 kts) to 9000...then 1000 fpm as above.

FlyerJosh

VS. The whole way up... and generally the whole way back down, unless I feel like doing something different on the way down and use FPA mode.

yawdamp

Vertical speed in the climb should not be used. You're setting yourself up for a stall...

pilot0987

I like to use airspeed once pitch attitude is set

usmc-sgt

FLCH the entire way up.

KC10 FATboy

Some airplanes only have vertical speed. Some only have pitch hold.

In one if my flight manuals, there were what seemed like three dozen warnings about using vertical speed. So the flight manual suggested N1 IAS hold. However, when I was an LCA, I used to ice up the pitot probe or screw with the static system and watch the crew go for a ride. I didn't do it to hook anyone, I did it to possibly save their life since the flight manual had everyone scared to death about using vertical speed. Both have pros and cons.

I prefer VNAV.