I mostly fly the Boeing 787-10 since it’s my favourite airliner in the sim, but ever since I’ve used it I have a feeling that the ATC instructs me to descend simply too late. Or at least that’s how I feel. Obviously my cruise is usually at 41000 feet at Mach 0.85, and I almost always feel that the ATC tells me to descend when I’m already too close to the destination. On several occasions this turned out to be correct as I couldn’t land in time, or had to manually intervene and push the aircraft into a hair-raising descent.
Now, as far as I know the common descend rate for the 787-10 is 2500 fpm and I usually use that value. Is this right, or should I use more? What’s the common practice with this aircraft, or what value does the ATC calculate with? I’d like to descend more comfortably but obviously if I start descending early the ATC is triggered immediately. On some occasions I even considered cancelling IFR completely and just complete the flight on my own. Is that a viable alternative?
I’d like some advice on this as I don’t feel fully comfortable in the 787 because this.
For descent planning use the standard distance x 3 = altitude formula.
E.g. 100NM x 3 = FL300.
Recheck every ~10NM and increase/decrease the ROD to correct any deviation.
A 2500ft/min ROD is ok it high altitude and at FL 410 you should start the descent latest at 123NM from your destination.
You might add ~10NM for the speed reduction at FL100 and to slow down before intercepting the GS.
That is the problem, the ATC doesn’t seem to instruct me to descend in time. And I have to rely on them or else they go totally crazy and that ruins the enjoyment of the flight.
PZL104 has the right of it, just do not use ATC, yes, aware this takes away realizm, but it’s really broken badly, and has been my main complaint since birth of this sim. Since I turned it off, my flying has been most enjoyable. Way less stress on me, as well.
I like having ATC talk to me and trying to stay in sync within limits of its very buggy nature, so I usually use the “request lower altitude” to start a descent like a couple of you have suggested. Usually this will keep ATC from constantly yelling at me about being at the wrong altitude.
Going back to FSX I never trusted ATC on that. They always mess that up or have you come in like a rocket. I just do my own calculations. What are you using for your flight planning - simbrief?
I heard a 787 pilot say he uses a 4x height rule, generally, for descending. That is, multiply your height by 4, and that’s the number of miles from your destination you should start descending from.
By “not using ATC” do you mean you just turn off their voice? Won’t the copilot still communicate with them, request pushback etc? How can it be set all manual (so I can still ask for pushback for example, but in-flight they won’t bother me)?
I went to the assistance options and turned off the copilot communication to ATC. You can manually request pushback with SHIFT + P. I’m not sure if there’s a way to steer the aircraft during manual pushback, though.
Just a tip; I’ve found that if I create a flightplan in Simbrief, export that, and import that in the world map, that the standard ATC is much better behaved. It normally gets the TOD (and thus the descend instruction) correctly. I think the flight plans from Simbrief hold more altitude data than the plans you create yourself from the world map.
You can request cruise altitude descents in batches of 10,000ft, you don’t have to wait for ATC.
I’d also say you should check you the heavy division 787 mod… it shows you your expected TOD. At 41,000ft, I’d probably start descent around 140nm from the runway to give me time to slow down to 250kts before 10,000ft.
