When do you use autopilots?

Do you use autopilots on short trips (along the lines of an hour or
so)? Do you use autopilots systematically on IFR flights?

Is it bad form to use the autopilot for a 25-minute flight? I've
tried KPAE-KTIW under IFR both by hand and with autopilot, and
autopilot is a breeze in any weather whereas flying by hand is
troublesome even without any wind or turbulence. I try to fly by
hand, but the lure of the autopilot is strong sometimes and I use it
to get some rest.

So how often do you use autopilots in real life? And to what extent
to you prefer to use them?

--
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Mxsmanic wrote in
:

Do you use autopilots on short trips (along the lines of an hour or
so)? Do you use autopilots systematically on IFR flights?

Is it bad form to use the autopilot for a 25-minute flight? I've
tried KPAE-KTIW under IFR both by hand and with autopilot, and
autopilot is a breeze in any weather whereas flying by hand is
troublesome even without any wind or turbulence. I try to fly by
hand, but the lure of the autopilot is strong sometimes and I use it
to get some rest.

So how often do you use autopilots in real life? And to what extent
to you prefer to use them?


If flying by hand is difficult without wind or turbulence, you are either not
a very good pilot, or you don't have a very good simulator. Autopilot
certainly makes life easier, but you should be able to keep the plane flying
on course and altitude without it.

As an example, I recently flew 3 hours from South Carolina to NY without an
AutoPilot (it was temporarily out of service), and it really wasn't that
difficult or tiring. The wind was mild, and proper attention to the trim and
the heading was really all that was required.

Short answer.

Use it if you got it.

Save your energy for when things go wrong.

J

Mxsmanic wrote:
Do you use autopilots on short trips (along the lines of an hour or
so)? Do you use autopilots systematically on IFR flights?

Is it bad form to use the autopilot for a 25-minute flight? I've
tried KPAE-KTIW under IFR both by hand and with autopilot, and
autopilot is a breeze in any weather whereas flying by hand is
troublesome even without any wind or turbulence. I try to fly by
hand, but the lure of the autopilot is strong sometimes and I use it
to get some rest.

So how often do you use autopilots in real life? And to what extent
to you prefer to use them?

Judah writes:

If flying by hand is difficult without wind or turbulence, you are either not
a very good pilot, or you don't have a very good simulator.

It's the former, and I think it is frustrating _because_ the
simulation is good. I do think it might be easier in some respects in
a real aircraft, since movements of the aircraft would remind you when
to look at which instruments, and you have better visibility out the
window and control pressures, etc. However, I think the overwhelming
reason in my case is lack of experience. Even on a short flight, it
gets tiring trying to hold a heading and altitude, but I'm getting
better.

Autopilot
certainly makes life easier, but you should be able to keep the plane flying
on course and altitude without it.

Within what limits? I fly to a heading and then 30 seconds later when
I check it again I've drifted two degrees or so and have to move it
back. Altitude is a much bigger problem, with a constant
roller-coaster ride through as much as 150 feet or so for quite a
while. By the time I wrestle it onto a steady altitude, I'm being
told to climb or descend again.

As an example, I recently flew 3 hours from South Carolina to NY without an
AutoPilot (it was temporarily out of service), and it really wasn't that
difficult or tiring. The wind was mild, and proper attention to the trim and
the heading was really all that was required.

I hope so.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

The Visitor writes:

Short answer.

Use it if you got it.

Save your energy for when things go wrong.

Seems logical, but do you worry about getting out of practice in hand
flying?

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Working 14 days a month? Yes. But there is very little of it. Not even
on six month rides.

In lighter aiccraft there is lots of hand flying, all but the enroute
phase. I know people still flying large jets whose autopilot is so poor,
they do the terminal maneuvering and approach by hand, no choice. And in
some crummy locations (mountainous). And only having one simple one,
autoland is out.

Do you sit there at your sim, droning along for 3,4,5,6,7,8,9 hours
enroute, handflying? What aircraft/route are you asking about?

Mxsmanic wrote:
The Visitor writes:


Short answer.

Use it if you got it.

Save your energy for when things go wrong.


Seems logical, but do you worry about getting out of practice in hand
flying?

"The Visitor" wrote in message
...
Working 14 days a month? Yes. But there is very little of it. Not even on six
month rides.

In lighter aiccraft there is lots of hand flying, all but the enroute phase. I
know people still flying large jets whose autopilot is so poor, they do the
terminal maneuvering and approach by hand, no choice. And in some crummy
locations (mountainous). And only having one simple one, autoland is out.

Do you sit there at your sim, droning along for 3,4,5,6,7,8,9 hours enroute,
handflying? What aircraft/route are you asking about?

The post you are responding to is from a person who is a simulator game pilot,
only. He is a troll, and nothing he posts has any relevance to real aviation.
Please ignore his posts, and talk to real pilots.
--
Jim in NC

The Visitor writes:

Do you sit there at your sim, droning along for 3,4,5,6,7,8,9 hours
enroute, handflying?

No, but I was wondering if I was "cheating" by using the autopilot.

What aircraft/route are you asking about?

At this very instant (thanks to autopilot), I'm flying VFR from KPHX
to KSAN, via GBN JUDTH MOHAK WARTT BZA ARGUS IPL NICKK KUMBA PILLO
CANNO BARET RYAHH HAILE KSAN. The GPS unit is handling the routing.
I picked 6000 feet MSL for most of the flight because the manual says
the Baron is highly efficient at this altitude; I'll go briefly to
8500 to get over the mountains on the way in to San Diego.

If this is the way real pilots use autopilot, fine. I just don't want
to do anything that would handicap me in real flight (I'm not sure how
experienced real pilots are supposed to be in hand-flying).

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Mxsmanic wrote:
Do you use autopilots on short trips (along the lines of an hour or
so)? Do you use autopilots systematically on IFR flights?

I use autopilots whenever strategically advantageous.

Is it bad form to use the autopilot for a 25-minute flight?

Sometimes it's BETTER FORM to use the autopilot on shorter flights.
Enroute is generally a lot of inactivity. Takeoff and landing
is the busy part of IFR. Best to off-load onto George when
you are busy.

tried KPAE-KTIW under IFR both by hand and with autopilot, and
autopilot is a breeze in any weather whereas flying by hand is
troublesome even without any wind or turbulence. I try to fly by
hand, but the lure of the autopilot is strong sometimes and I use it
to get some rest.

Turbulence can actually be more difficult on the autopilot. It
wants to hold you to course and altitude and tends to overcontrol
to stay there. Hand flying you're willing to take the slight
deviations because you know it will even out in the long term.

Mxsmanic wrote in
:

It's the former, and I think it is frustrating _because_ the
simulation is good.

How do you know it's good????? You have never been in a REAL plane to
have anything to compare to! So you don't know squat.

But I do.

I found on the contrary, SIMULATED FLIGHT on MSFS is NOT GOOD for
simulating REAL FLIGHT.

MSFS don't give you that head rush on steep turns.
MSFS don't give you spatial disorientation in IMC.
MSFS don't paint the sky as well as God can.
MSFS don't give you the sense of freedom as you fly in the canyons of
Cumulus clouds
MSFS don't give you the sensation of floating on air at cruise altutide.
MSFS don't give you anything when it comes to human physiology.

Whether you like it or not, human physiology is part of the joy of
flying. I sure as hell don't get the same feeling sitting in my lazy boy
chair in front of a flat panel comoputer playing the GAME OF MSFS.

MSFS don't give you that sense of accomplishment after a lesson of REAL
FLIGHT.

Crap, here I had "signed" a promise to not reply to your posts, but I
sure don't want FUTURE STUDENTS to even think that MSFS will be anything
close to flying a REAL plane. It's simply put, not even the tip of the
iceberg of what a REAL PLANE gives you.

Seeing how clueless on your other posts regarding the practicality
General Aviation and flying in general (Yes, I restrained myself from
replying to your other non sensible dribble), you really need to get your
head out of your computer screen and join the real 3D world of flight in
a REAL PLANE.

Allen