• This is an Aerofly autopilot and Aerofly drag thing.

    The Aerofly idle thrust descent gradient without using speed brakes should really be a bit steeper and there has to be a reduced rate of descent phase at about 11,000 feet to slow from about 300 knots indicated to 250, that could take up to ten miles especially if Aerofly is a bit light on drag. We also have to be positioned at a height above ground somewhere between 3,000 feet and 2,000 feet for the defined approach to the runway which will be about ten miles out for 3,000 feet.

    For a proper simulated descent we can plan in advance the desired heights for the distances to go and make whatever adjustments are necessary.

    Aerofly does a half decent job at all this, we have to consider that this all has to work on an ordinary phone or tablet with computing power and capacity limits.


    I don’t like letting the sim’s autopilot and especially the ‘copilot’ do too much, doing it yourself is more fun and you should do it better. For the initial long descent I set the auto-throttle to way below 300 knots (Mach above 30,000 feet) so that the sim’s autopilot will not be sneaking in unwanted thrust and use the descent rate to give 300 knots indicated airspeed. With the CRJ-900 putting the throttles at idle and selecting Speed Mode at 300 will properly do this automatically.

    To fix being too high airbrakes can be used or for more interest steer away by 60 degrees for a minute before turning 120 degrees the other way for a minute to rejoin the original desired track.

    If you were on a 090 track try steering 030 (minus 60) for a minute then steer 150 (plus 120) for another minute before turning back onto the original 090. You will have perhaps flown and descended for sixteen miles but only have ended up eight miles nearer to the airport.

    Allowing for Altitude and True Airspeed each time that this is done can add about eight miles to the distance flown at high altitude and about six miles lower down, it is very easy on a busy brain … and there is no air traffic control to worry about.

  • I assume you are referring to the copilot overlay because only some aircraft have and autopilot in the cockpit but all have the copilot interface. What route are you flying?

    Any route I do. I might just not be doing something right, but I’m referring to the co-pilot panel that comes up on the screen, if I put on the navigation on that, it will climb and cruise at desired altitude, but then the descent is where the issue is.