"STICKMONKE" wrote in message ...
I got my IFR rating 1 month ago and now have a license to learn.



Pont of confusion.



I enter a "direct-to" in the GPS and fly the desired track (DTK) heading with the Heading Bug and the
autopilot in heading mode to the IAF. As I approach the IAF and engage the "APR" mode (with a flight plan and
approach loaded). The autopilot does not track the DTK (my current heading), but in fact wants to intercept
the course stored in the GPS active flight plan (which is a different heading than I am currently tracking
with DTK).



Am I correct in assuming the Autopilot wants to fly the GPS loaded flight plan/approach in the NAV/APR mode
and NOT the DTK I selected in "direct to" in the GPS?



I am flying a C172S/G with a KAP140 autopilot and a KLN94 GPS. Assume I load a short flight plan loaded with
the first waypoint as the IAF for a GPS approach to the destination airport. I am doing a Tower Enroute with
a Departure Procedure. I takeoff, start the DP and is handed-off to Departure Control. I request the GPS
approach and "direct" to the IAF. I am assigned the "direct". I enter into the GPS the "direct to IAF" and
get a DTK. When I engage the APR on the autopilot, it navigates to the flight plan loaded in the GPS and not
the desired track (DTK) I am flying.



Indeed this does not sound "right"! When you say it "navigates to the flight plan", do you mean it turns to
intercept the flight plan leg instead of following the direct-to course? Which one is purple, the direct-to
course or the flight plan leg (it should be the direct-to course). I fly with a KLN94 but not the KAP140, mine
is a Century 2000. But doesn't your A/P track based on the external CDI (HSI or VOR--which do you have BTW?) ?
If it does, what does your external CDI say while this is going on-- does it agree with your GPS' CDI (and
therefore navigate with respect to the purple direct-to line)?
--
Cheers,
John Clonts
Temple, Texas
N7NZ