Cat IIIB approach video

I have yet to do this in real life, but have done it many times in the simulator.

Intense... especially because we practice malfufunctions of the automation.
 
That’s nuts
 
I bet that is intense.
So what is the (standard) procedure if automation fails...just go missed and divert?..or do you actually hand fly that in?!

I don't see how you hand fly that last 100 feet.
 
I bet that is intense.
So what is the (standard) procedure if automation fails...just go missed and divert?..or do you actually hand fly that in?!

There are additional call outs for the automation, if you don't see the indications, a downgrade to cat II or no land green for example, it is an immediate go around. There is no hand flying a catIII. The are intense to say the least.
 
Ohh okay yea doesn’t ring a bell for me

in the one I recall, the rvr was worse than this one:
(it was a standard “Cat IV” approach, yukyuk)

(probably got hung by the FtWorth fsdo and yanked it, lol)

 
I have done two for real. Both at Spokane and one week apart. Low lying fog. We were VMC until the last 50 feet then the world went white.
 
Greg was the rvr above mins then it moved in? Or the rvr was not reading the fog?
edit: you must mean you've done the IIIb for real....and not that you did a missed for real, after getting that low.
 
in the one I recall, the rvr was worse than this one:
(it was a standard “Cat IV” approach, yukyuk)

(probably got hung by the FtWorth fsdo and yanked it, lol)


Yea I think that is the one I was thinking about. He pulled one of those videos off YouTube for a while because he got a lot of grief from folks in the comments
 
Unless you are Southwest with a HUD.

Oh, wait. That might only be for Cat II approaches.
Alaska, Southwest, and American all use the HUD for CAT II/III approaches on their 737s. Due to the 737s lack of a fail-active autoland system, they can get lower CAT III mins with the HUD than with autoland.
 
There are additional call outs for the automation, if you don't see the indications, a downgrade to cat II or no land green for example, it is an immediate go around. There is no hand flying a catIII. The are intense to say the least.
In the 757 our Autopilot Status Indicators will typically auto-test at around 1500’ AGL and give us a Fail Operational “LAND 3” status. It can revert to a Fail Passive “LAND 2/NO LAND 3” but for us, we can still do the autoland, but we have to have visual reference by 50’. Otherwise we have to go-around.

I’ve done a bunch of these and they’re never comfortable. The lowest was going into Oakland in the MD-11. Now that I live and fly in Europe, we’re getting into the time of year that Cat III’s are going to be an common occurrence... that and de-icing... Ugh. Winter flying is too much work... ;)
 
We don’t do them very often but I just flew one a couple hours ago into NRT. Early morning fog, RVR at 400 meters.
 
Greg was the rvr above mins then it moved in? Or the rvr was not reading the fog?
edit: you must mean you've done the IIIb for real....and not that you did a missed for real, after getting that low.
No. RVR was below Cat II mins. Which required an auto land to Cat III minimums. There was a thin layer of fog over the ground. The RVR monitors on the ground were all indicating less that 1000 RVR hence the need for a Cat III.

The layer was only about 50 feet thick. We could see the landing lights on the runway on final up until we entered the fog. Then, lights out, literally speaking. The airplane did a nice job landing.

7 days later, same place, same scenario. As far as I can remember, those are the only times I have done a Cat III for real.
 
In the 757 our Autopilot Status Indicators will typically auto-test at around 1500’ AGL and give us a Fail Operational “LAND 3” status. It can revert to a Fail Passive “LAND 2/NO LAND 3” but for us, we can still do the autoland, but we have to have visual reference by 50’. Otherwise we have to go-around.

I’ve done a bunch of these and they’re never comfortable. The lowest was going into Oakland in the MD-11. Now that I live and fly in Europe, we’re getting into the time of year that Cat III’s are going to be an common occurrence... that and de-icing... Ugh. Winter flying is too much work... ;)

on the bus, once on final and both autopilots couple up you will get a cat3 dual indication on the screen. then the FO is looking for three things, between 400 and 350 feet you must get a land green indication, if not mandatory go around. second is any red autoland indicator, and finally a flair indication at 40 feet, again if no indication mandatory go around. if the system downgrades to cat 3 single, we can continue if there is time to reset the box to the 50 ft DH. pretty much same thing just different ways to get there.
 
I think I've done three autolands in in nearly four years on the 737 with the weather below CAT I minimums. Don't remember any on the 767/757. At least one CAT II on the DC8 and several CAT IIs on the DC9.

We do a lot of RNP approaches on the 737. We go to a number of airports where the RNP gives us the lowest minimums (SAN 27 & MFR 32 come to mind). They are also starting to use them at some large hub airports in place of vectors to final (IAH & DEN). The RNP approaches are one thing that, IMO, the 737 does really well. Latest manual revision lowered our lowest RNP authorization from 0.11 to 0.10 which, I believe, is as low as RNP currently goes.
 
I have done three autolands with cat 2 minimums as an FO, but yet to do any Cat 3 as a captain (other than the sim).

I have posted this video before, but figured the changeover in POA readership might like to see it.

Disclaimer: it’s not me, it’s from youtube.
 
You know when it’s going to be fun when annunciation for 300’ and you are clear above.
 
For us simple folk, exactly what does autoland do? Does it flare and pull back the engines automatically? Or does it get to the flare? Do you still have to manually maintain the centerline while slowing down?
 
For us simple folk, exactly what does autoland do? Does it flare and pull back the engines automatically? Or does it get to the flare? Do you still have to manually maintain the centerline while slowing down?
It sounds like it does everything, including insulting you for letting it land for you!!!
 
For us simple folk, exactly what does autoland do? Does it flare and pull back the engines automatically? Or does it get to the flare? Do you still have to manually maintain the centerline while slowing down?
The avionic magic does EVERYthing for you. Except extend the gear.

A few years ago, I got some sim time in a B787. The instructor did a great job showing us the autoland, autobrake features. Then he set it up for a full blown Cat 3 approach and land.

Out the front window, it was all white milk bottle. All we had to do was follow his instructions for the knobology and set the flaps and gear at the appropriate points. Auto throttles, auto land, auto brake took us all the way to the runway for a nice landing and easy stop with lots of concrete to spare.
 
Damn man why don't we have fully autonomous airliners yet???
 
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