How is Cat II/III autoland configured and what are the limitations and training requirements?

• A. Autoland uses autopilot/FD/autothrust with ILS signals for automated landing; Cat II/III operation requires specialized training and favorable conditions.
• B. Autoland uses only autopilot; Cat II/III requires no special training.
• C. Autoland can be used only on VOR approaches; Cat II/III not allowed; training not required.
• D. Cat II/III autoland eliminates all weather restrictions; no training necessary.

Answer: (B)

Cat II/III autoland is a fully coupled automatic landing that uses the airplane’s flight guidance and thrust systems under ILS guidance. The aircraft flies the approach and lands automatically with the autopilot (and its multiple channels), the flight director providing guidance cues, and autothrust managing engine power. The ILS signals provide the lateral and vertical guidance needed for very low visibility approaches, and the crew configures the airplane for autoland and selects the CAT II/III mode when the runway and ILS minima permit.

This approach capability is not a do-anything feature; it has limits. It requires specialized training and qualification for the crew, plus recurrent checks, to ensure proper setup, monitoring, and the ability to manually take over if something abnormal occurs. It also depends on favorable conditions such as a functioning ILS with CAT II/III minimums, appropriate runway lighting and markings, and weather within published limits.

The other statements are incomplete or incorrect because autoland involves more than just the autopilot, relies on stricter training and certification, and does not remove weather restrictions or allow use on non-ILS or degraded conditions.