Are autopilots allowed for IFR training?

Can you use an autopilot when training for or being examined for an
instrument rating, or do you have to fly the aircraft by hand?

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Mxsmanic wrote:
Can you use an autopilot when training for or being examined for an
instrument rating, or do you have to fly the aircraft by hand?

There are varieties of "autopilot". 1,2,3-axis, coupled to GPS,
coupled to ILS, wing-leveler, etc.

Me, personally, have a 1/2-axis autopilot. Turn it on, it holds
the heading. Well, not really. Since it's not coupled to anything,
it doesn't know when there's any deviation, such as winds. I can
start out on a heading of 120, turn on the AP. If winds
are from the north, then my actual track is more southerly, depending
on the strength of the winds.

As for IFR training -- you betcha! It's one way to reduce the load on
the student. Need to get charts for an unexpected diversion? Turn on
the AP, reach over and get the charts and start looking for the
right one.

Now, the DE can fail the AP during the exam. In exams, almost anything
is fair game.

Blanche wrote:
Me, personally, have a 1/2-axis autopilot. Turn it on, it holds
the heading. Well, not really. Since it's not coupled to anything,
it doesn't know when there's any deviation, such as winds. I can
start out on a heading of 120, turn on the AP. If winds
are from the north, then my actual track is more southerly, depending
on the strength of the winds.

I assume you understand the difference between heading and track?

Mxsmanic wrote in
:

Can you use an autopilot when training for or being examined for an
instrument rating, or do you have to fly the aircraft by hand?


A question like this might be best asked on Rec.Aviation.Student.

Yes.

In point of fact many large ac are not hand flown, except rarely.

In point of fact, gear up, ap on, autoland armed on approach. Or it is
taken at minimums.

On very large ac, there really is no hand flying happening. And with
three autopilots, it is not even considered to be a possible failure.
Meaning on rides, you can, without penalty, rely on "Otto". Yes even
with an engine out.

Mxsmanic wrote:

Can you use an autopilot when training for or being examined for an
instrument rating, or do you have to fly the aircraft by hand?

Judah wrote:
Mxsmanic wrote in
:


Can you use an autopilot when training for or being examined for an
instrument rating, or do you have to fly the aircraft by hand?



A question like this might be best asked on Rec.Aviation.Student.
This guy's not a student. He's a nag with Microsoft Flight Simulator
that won't bother to take any of the suggestions provided here.

Roy Smith wrote:
Blanche wrote:
Me, personally, have a 1/2-axis autopilot. Turn it on, it holds
the heading. Well, not really. Since it's not coupled to anything,
it doesn't know when there's any deviation, such as winds. I can
start out on a heading of 120, turn on the AP. If winds
are from the north, then my actual track is more southerly, depending
on the strength of the winds.

I assume you understand the difference between heading and track?

It sounds like he does. He was giving a simple example of what would
happen if he set his autopilot heading to his course, with no
adjustment for wind. His track would then be affected, as he said.

Regards, Kev

Roy Smith wrote:
Blanche wrote:
Me, personally, have a 1/2-axis autopilot. Turn it on, it holds
the heading. Well, not really. Since it's not coupled to anything,
it doesn't know when there's any deviation, such as winds. I can
start out on a heading of 120, turn on the AP. If winds
are from the north, then my actual track is more southerly, depending
on the strength of the winds.

I assume you understand the difference between heading and track?

Heading: direction in which the longitudinal axis of the aircraft
points with respect to true or magnetic north. Heading is equal to
course plus or minus any wind correction angle.

Course: intended direction of flight in the horizontal plane measured
in degrees from north.

Track: actual flight path of an aircraft over the ground. Also referred
to as ground track.

Ref: Aviation Dictionary, Jeppesen, 2003.

OK - my bad. I should have stated "start out on a course of 120". But
the use of "track" is correct, true?

Kev writes:

It sounds like he does. He was giving a simple example of what would
happen if he set his autopilot heading to his course, with no
adjustment for wind. His track would then be affected, as he said.

Are there autopilots that will actually hold the aircraft to a track
instead of a heading? I imagine it would require close integration
with a GPS or other navaids that permit the actual path over the
ground to be determined (GPS may provide this directly; it might have
to be inferred from other navaids).

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Judah writes:

A question like this might be best asked on Rec.Aviation.Student.

Because licensed pilots don't have instrument ratings?

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