When climbs are performed in modes other than VNAV, how should the MCP altitude be set with altitude constraints?

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Multiple Choice

When climbs are performed in modes other than VNAV, how should the MCP altitude be set with altitude constraints?

In climbs without VNAV, you must actively manage the vertical path to stay within published constraints and ATC clearances. The MCP altitude is your target for the autopilot to reach, so you want that target to reflect the most restrictive requirement ahead. Setting the MCP altitude to the next altitude constraint or the clearance altitude, whichever is lower, does exactly that. Why this works: If ATC clearance is lower than the next constraint, climbing further than clearance would violate the clearance, so picking the lower value prevents overshooting and keeps you compliant. If the next constraint is lower than the clearance, you’ll still be respecting that constraint by aiming for the lower altitude, and you can adjust once you’re established past the constraint and ready for the next segment. This approach ensures you don’t inadvertently violate either the constraint or the clearance while still allowing the flight to continue smoothly toward higher altitudes as you progress. Setting the MCP altitude to only the next constraint or only the clearance could either miss a more restrictive requirement or risk violating the other, and ignoring constraints is unsafe.

In climbs without VNAV, you must actively manage the vertical path to stay within published constraints and ATC clearances. The MCP altitude is your target for the autopilot to reach, so you want that target to reflect the most restrictive requirement ahead. Setting the MCP altitude to the next altitude constraint or the clearance altitude, whichever is lower, does exactly that.

Why this works: If ATC clearance is lower than the next constraint, climbing further than clearance would violate the clearance, so picking the lower value prevents overshooting and keeps you compliant. If the next constraint is lower than the clearance, you’ll still be respecting that constraint by aiming for the lower altitude, and you can adjust once you’re established past the constraint and ready for the next segment. This approach ensures you don’t inadvertently violate either the constraint or the clearance while still allowing the flight to continue smoothly toward higher altitudes as you progress.

Setting the MCP altitude to only the next constraint or only the clearance could either miss a more restrictive requirement or risk violating the other, and ignoring constraints is unsafe.

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