I am back. The first situation would cover a takeoff to airports say plus 30 miles out such as KTPA to KATL or KJFK. Lets say you just wanted to fly to a close airport to do practice approachs and landings and didnot want to go higher than 3000 AGL or over 250 KIAS. You would probably plan a route and enter into the FMC therefore LNAV would be armed but I don't arm VNAV because the plane would accelerate to about 300 KIAS and shoot right thru 3000 feet up to about 37-3800 feet before it would start to decent to 3000. What I would do is enter 250 in the IAS/MACH window, 2000 in the VERT SPD window and press or arm the V/S button and 3000 in the ALT window. I would start the takeoff roll by pressing the EPR button. Once the plane reached 2-300 feet I would press the CMD button and the autopilot would take control except for the speed or thrust since VNAV was not armed. At about 220 KIAS I would press the SPD button to disengage EPR thrust ortherwise the plane would continue to accelerate to who knows what. If LNAV was not armed and engaged it should make no difference except you will have to guide the plane yourself.

Both of these situations do not result in a throttle stuck at 100%. I have never touched the throttle. This works for me. It might not work for other people and there maybe other ways of achiving the same results. Every successfull simmer probably has there own method for taking off. Your mileage may vary.

Michael Cubine