Turns out there is a tutorial for the 787 that includes details instructions on the AP and VNAV:
I am going to go down it step by step and reproduce their flight from ORD to IAD that used VNAV for the whole flight.
I am optimistic that this worked for them as they have screen shots… much much more complex than the C-172.
EDIT: So I spent 2h laboriously putting in the FL and saving it two different ways and after TO I paused the flight to read the instructions, and when I restarted the plane immediately crashed… neither of the saved plans had the hand typed route in it. What a POS.
I am not going to retype this, but after lunch I guess I can try the flight planner.
Well, the flight planner worked 90%. For some reason the climb out on VNAV would not work but the Cruise and Descent worked like a charm. I think it was not clear that I needed to be in VNAV mode when I came up on the T/C point (Top of Descent) and to have the lowest altitude set in on the descent… prior to the ILS.
This was for ORD to IAD. I now have to try it on my High Sierra signtseeing flight between Reno and Fresno.
There is also this guide:
In which when I read the VNAV section I discovered the climb out was INOP… thank god I did not waste time on that… but that is the least on my problems… it is the descent.
I would say that if people want to practice this, use the tutorial into Dulles (IAD), since it must hit 10 steps on the way down and it hit them all…