Whenever I engage the altitude hold, the plane goes into a dive for a few hundred feet. It then levels off, but remains lower than I set the altitude hold at. However, if I immediately disengage and then re-engage, it works fine. What's causing this? Is there a fix?

You need a new pilot!  ;D

The real plane does the same thing if you are not zeroed out on the IVSI.

Level the plane by either hand flying and trimming to neutral, or use the pitch control knob on the autopilot and zero the climb or descent to a very small amount - one to two hundred FPM before selecting altitude hold.

Now I know the trim is hard to do using the main electric trim, and the autopilot pitch control knob takes a bit of finesse, but it can be done!

As you approach an altitude for level off, hand fly the plane to the altitude by using the yoke. When the FPM on the IVSI is zero, engage the autopilot and select ALT HOLD - the autopilot will trim out any pressure in the yoke. Another way is to use the pitch knob to control the pitch on the ADI. You can see the pitch degree angle readout as you move the knob. Tickle the pitch knob as you approach the selected altitude so the last 1,000 feet is under 1,000 FPM. As you near your selected altitude, continue to use very small taps on the mouse button via the pitch knob on the autopilot. With practice, you will find you can get it pretty close to one to two hundred FPM. Select ALT HOLD as you reach your altitude.

If need be after the autopilot settles down, and lets say its a few feet off, you can take altitude off and make very small corrections to the pitch knob and re-select altitude hold.

That is the way the 727-100 really worked! The 727-200 autopilot pitch knob was a bit nicer to use.

Lou

Okay, I had a sneaking suspicion that that might be the case, but I thought I had tried leveling out before... maybe I wasn't doing it enough.

And yes, I do need a new pilot, the current one is pretty lousy.

We did not like it either, but it was all we had so ....  ::)

Odd but I'm really finding it to be fun. It keeps my fully engaged while I fly. The 737NGX was fun but it took me out of the cockpit... and into the pantry. ;D

EdwardS wrote on Jan 28^th, 2012 at 4:41am:

and into the pantry. ;D

Hahaha! Priceless!

Lou, when you we're flying set and forget aircraft, did you find yourself bothering the stewardesses for a bite to eat?  ;)

Did you say CREW MEAL?

LOU wrote on Feb 6^th, 2012 at 7:56pm:

Did you say CREW MEAL?

I guess you could say I said that  ;D

This will give you a pretty good idea of how the galley is run.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi4UP9VhPX8

Ummmm, love those crew meals!  :o

Lou

LOU wrote on Feb 8^th, 2012 at 7:44pm:

This will give you a pretty good idea of how the galley is run. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi4UP9VhPX8 Ummmm, love those crew meals!  :o Lou

Amazing video Lou. I never knew so much work was involved in organizing the food and drinks for the passengers on an aircraft. I always took it for granted, but never again.

I showed the galley video to my wife.  When the part played with the flight attendant bringing the tote of drinks to the flight deck, I asked her if she might help me simulate that part of airliner operations.

I don't have to tell you how that went over.....
:D

You're lucky, some men never hear the shot!  :o

David Paul wrote on Feb 10^th, 2012 at 6:58pm:

I don't have to tell you how that went over..... :D

I can imagine....

David Paul wrote on Feb 10^th, 2012 at 6:58pm:

I don't have to tell you how that went over..... :D

I bet it was the same as what happened when I asked my wife! Women! :-/

Oh good, so it's not just my wife then.  ;D