Managed Mode under IFR

[skriz 0]

Hey guys,

First post here. I am a fairly new user to Airbus X and a moderate FSX user. I love this product, so a quick thanks for that.

This is kind of a more flight related question than specific to this product, but I'm sure people will give me an answer.

I know that this airbus can fly in managed mode with LNAV and (simplified) VNAV and I've got all this to work fine. However, I'm using the default FSX ATC and I understand that commercial flights fly under IFR (is that correct?). As you know, the ATC will give instructions for heading until told to "resume own navigation" but always instructs altitude.

My question is, why (or when) should I use the VNAV? Because I can't let the bus climb and descend automatically after take off and at TOD, because ATC tell me what to do and when to do it, so I end up controlling the altitude in selected mode anyway...

Thanks in advance for any help.

[vali 31]

LNAV and VNAV are more a Boeing naming.

You can have ALT in managed mode right after take off, above 500ft AGL, and only set the new ALT based on ATC indications (and still use managed mode).

For TOD, best way, if you use FSX ATC is to be proactive and to request altitude decrease just right before TOD (within 10nm before), and keep the managed mode. Then you can ignore altitude indications and use the charts. Usually, at some point, for ILS intercept, you and ATC will be again fine.

But as descent in managed mode is simplified at Airbus X, depending on rwy to land and approach you have to use selected mode. But this is done also in real life.

[skriz 0]

Thank you for the reply. That makes sense!