![]() |
If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
![]()
I would almost certainly screw up trying to do that.
I don't see how. Assuming your 430s have a flight plan and you're following it, all you've got to do is engage GPSS and ALT. Or GPSS and VS and then dial in the vertical speed you want on the autopilot. You know, the A/P in my Twin Comanche can do wing level, heading hold, and it can sort of track the LORAN but I don't like how it does that - too much hunting. I put it in because I got it cheap. Altitude hold would be nice, but installingthe pitch servo is a pain so I don't have it. For years, I flew the plane night and hard IFR with no autopilot at all. I still don't use it in IMC - it's for long boring stretches of VFR flight. I have actually flown planes that had GPSS, VS, and similar funtions. GPSS is great when you know exactly how to engage it. I once borrowed a Mooney that had an STEC and GNS430 with GPSS. Took me about 15 minutes to figure out why it wasn't working - silly me, I thought following a GPS meant the A/P should be in nav mode. Nope, heading. Honestly, if the weather had gone foul then, I would have disconnedcted the silly thing and hand flown it instead of figuring in out. I used to instruct a student in an Ovation that had the KFC autopilot. Had to learn how to work it to explain it to him. He kept busting through altitudes with that VS function. Turned out the solution was to press one more button - and then it would say ARM and that meant that when it reached the altitude preset it would level off. I'm not sure I remember how to do it now. Anyway, my point is that without the manual, I would likely not be able to figure out how to press all the buttons to correctly couple up the autopilot to the 430 for an approach. I'd get something wrong, for sure. And all the button-pushing would distract me from doing my job - that is, landing the damn airplane. And I can assure you that with a moving map GPS, an AI, an ASI and an altimeter I can fly an approach and land the plane - it's nothing compared to doing a partial panel VOR with just a TC and compass, never mind an NDB. Michael |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
![]() |
||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Cambridge 302 learning curve cont. | Tuno | Soaring | 4 | July 5th 04 10:10 AM |
C182 Glass Panel | Scott Schluer | Piloting | 15 | February 27th 04 03:52 PM |
learning curve in fs 2002.. | David Ciemny | Simulators | 5 | December 30th 03 12:18 AM |
18m polar curve | Alan Irving | Soaring | 1 | December 15th 03 11:45 PM |
Lesson in Glass | JimC | Owning | 3 | August 6th 03 01:09 AM |