AutoPilot or no AutoPilot

texas_pilot · April 13th, 2007, 19:47

My question to all FreightDawgs is, with the equipment usually older and maintenance already an issue, what with the odd sleep/working hours and normal IMC we encounter- what percentage Commercial pilots
A) handfly all the time
B) handfly most of the time
C) wouldn't launch on an IFR flightplan without a functioning AutoPilot.

I've heard friends state they don't even use their heading bug, much less an AutoPilot. I personally kind of like to reduce the workload somewhat.

mtsu_av8er · April 13th, 2007, 20:30

Even if autopilots were installed in our aircraft, their use is not authorized in our GOM.

OldTownPilot · April 13th, 2007, 20:56

Autopilots take up weight against the useful load of the airplane. What company in their right mind would make an airplane heavier for the convenience of the pilot?

That's what I thought.

JayAre · April 14th, 2007, 02:56

Whats a A/P? I can only think of a few times I've had one that worked. Always hand fly the beast down.

FYI you might be a freight dawg if you find yourself driving with the road markings in the centerline of truck down the road.

BajtheJino · April 14th, 2007, 09:33

I enjoy books too much-A/P about 80% of the time.

Stone Cold · April 14th, 2007, 09:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldTownPilot

Autopilots take up weight against the useful load of the airplane. What company in their right mind would make an airplane heavier for the convenience of the pilot?

That's what I thought.

Airnet!!!

For the record, I handflew about 60-70% of the time (almost always had an autopilot)...I figured I went freight to build up my skills, why let George do all the flying.

citabriapilot · April 14th, 2007, 11:04

At AMF, a good amount of the PA31's have an autopilot. And if they are installed they have to work unless deferred. I think the A/P deferrals can only last 10 days.

The BE99's don't have one, but its pretty easy to handfly. Two of them now do, and apparently the rest of the fleet is being fitted with them.

Some of the 1900's have them. All of the SA227's and EMB-120's have autopilots.

Personally, I never really used one in the Chieftain. Seems to fly better without it. Used it in cruise and sometimes on approaches in the Metro and pretty much all the time in the Brasilia.

averyrm · April 14th, 2007, 16:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtsu_av8er

Even if autopilots were installed in our aircraft, their use is not authorized in our GOM.

Are you sure they're not authorized to be used, or is it that you can't use them in lieu of an SIC when carrying passengers? Sometimes it's worded oddly and it ends up sounding like the first, when in fact it's the second.

Our 135 letters state "use of autopilot is not authorized" but it means in lieu of an SIC.

JayAre · April 14th, 2007, 19:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by citabriapilot

At AMF, a good amount of the PA31's have an autopilot. And if they are installed they have to work unless deferred. I think the A/P deferrals can only last 10 days.

I don't trust very many of them. Arn't the 99 getting all Stec A/P?s

BTW I saw the first Chieftain with the Garmin 430 in it. And get this a real panel mount intercom

mtsu_av8er · April 14th, 2007, 21:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by averyrm

Are you sure they're not authorized to be used, or is it that you can't use them in lieu of an SIC when carrying passengers?

Can't be used at all . . . fun, huh?

wildfreightess · April 14th, 2007, 21:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by BajtheJino

I enjoy books too much-A/P about 80% of the time.

I read books all the time at FLX and we didn't have autopilot. Just incorporate it into your scan!

desertdog71 · April 14th, 2007, 21:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by wildfreightess

I read books all the time at FLX and we didn't have autopilot. Just incorporate it into your scan!

That is classic.

averyrm · April 15th, 2007, 01:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtsu_av8er

Can't be used at all . . . fun, huh?

Crazy, I've never heard of that.

mtsu_av8er · April 15th, 2007, 02:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by averyrm

Crazy, I've never heard of that.

Well, it's not so bad since none of our planes have them!

Berkut · April 15th, 2007, 02:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by wildfreightess

I read books all the time at FLX and we didn't have autopilot.

I'm not sure that's an approved use of the gust lock.

KLB · April 15th, 2007, 05:46

I had the sweetest autopilot in one of the Navajos the other day. It had a coupled approach feature and everything. I used for about a few minutes to get my weather data. Then I got bored. So I started hand flying it as usual.

citabriapilot · April 15th, 2007, 08:57

Ahh yes... I'm pretty sure PDX had the biggest fleet of those. Only one of them would fly the approach well, and even then I only tried it on a visual approach. Seemed that the ones without the autopilot flew the best. N29UM anyone? We called it Ugly Monkey.

EatSleepFly · April 15th, 2007, 16:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by citabriapilot

Seemed that the ones without the autopilot flew the best. N29UM anyone? We called it Ugly Monkey.

I personally liked 42076 the best, followed up by N3BT. Man, I miss flying the Chieftain around up there, that was so much fun.

I've never tried a coupled approach in 556 (don't think I want to), that's the only one with a decent autopilot. The rest suck and just hold heading and altitude, at best. About 50% of the time, 423 will take you for a roller coaster ride if you engage altitude hold.

mikecweb · April 15th, 2007, 17:00

I'll use it in cruise when I'm VMC.

jtrain609 · April 15th, 2007, 19:17

The Altimatic V's and KFC200's are HORRIBLE about holding altitudes. The S-Tec autopilots do a much better job of holding heading and altitude than any of the fancy crap.

KLB · April 15th, 2007, 19:30

This one was an altimatic. I tried to coupled approach in VMC going into BFI. I had to disengage the auto pilot because it was taking me a little to close to the skyline in downtown.

spbrian · April 15th, 2007, 23:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by EatSleepFly

I personally liked 42076 the best, followed up by N3BT. Man, I miss flying the Chieftain around up there, that was so much fun.

35805 Man, the A/P worked great, I flew it for weeks straight with no squawks. After that 3BT was good and 42076.

Metro's, my current ship when it's not giving me grief is awesome, coupled approaches are cake aslong as the controller doesn't give short vectors and try to get you to intercept above the glideslope (PDX!). 427AF won't hold altitude unless your perfectly in the middle loaded and light, 377AF is a good bird with a good a/p that does a good job.

EatSleepFly · April 16th, 2007, 11:28

Quote:

Last edited by SteveC : Yesterday at 15:11. Reason: language

Uh, ok. Please pardon my abhorrent language.

SteveC · April 16th, 2007, 12:12

Sure thing.

April 13th, 2007, 19:47	#1
texas_pilot Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Tx Posts: 48	AutoPilot or no AutoPilot My question to all FreightDawgs is, with the equipment usually older and maintenance already an issue, what with the odd sleep/working hours and normal IMC we encounter- what percentage Commercial pilots A) handfly all the time B) handfly most of the time C) wouldn't launch on an IFR flightplan without a functioning AutoPilot. I've heard friends state they don't even use their heading bug, much less an AutoPilot. I personally kind of like to reduce the workload somewhat.

April 13th, 2007, 20:30	#2
mtsu_av8er Old Skool Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Utopia Posts: 12,567	Re: AutoPilot or no AutoPilot Even if autopilots were installed in our aircraft, their use is not authorized in our GOM. __________________ Ike is one nasty storm, and it's all the fault of management. That's why we need ALPA.

April 13th, 2007, 20:56	#3
OldTownPilot Old Skool Join Date: May 2005 Location: BGR (Bangor, ME) Posts: 3,043 Blog Entries: 6	Re: AutoPilot or no AutoPilot Autopilots take up weight against the useful load of the airplane. What company in their right mind would make an airplane heavier for the convenience of the pilot? That's what I thought. __________________ As a wise man said, sumb!tch flew in, sumb!tch'll fly out. Ski Hard. Party Harder.

April 14th, 2007, 02:56	#4
JayAre Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Multiple Posts: 1,021	Re: AutoPilot or no AutoPilot Whats a A/P? I can only think of a few times I've had one that worked. Always hand fly the beast down. FYI you might be a freight dawg if you find yourself driving with the road markings in the centerline of truck down the road. __________________ OIL=Satans Energy Drink!

April 14th, 2007, 09:33	#5
BajtheJino Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: MEM Posts: 1,190	Re: AutoPilot or no AutoPilot I enjoy books too much-A/P about 80% of the time.

April 14th, 2007, 11:04	#7
citabriapilot Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 124	Re: AutoPilot or no AutoPilot At AMF, a good amount of the PA31's have an autopilot. And if they are installed they have to work unless deferred. I think the A/P deferrals can only last 10 days. The BE99's don't have one, but its pretty easy to handfly. Two of them now do, and apparently the rest of the fleet is being fitted with them. Some of the 1900's have them. All of the SA227's and EMB-120's have autopilots. Personally, I never really used one in the Chieftain. Seems to fly better without it. Used it in cruise and sometimes on approaches in the Metro and pretty much all the time in the Brasilia.

April 15th, 2007, 05:46	#16
KLB Old Skool Join Date: May 2005 Location: DFW Posts: 2,814	Re: AutoPilot or no AutoPilot I had the sweetest autopilot in one of the Navajos the other day. It had a coupled approach feature and everything. I used for about a few minutes to get my weather data. Then I got bored. So I started hand flying it as usual.

April 15th, 2007, 08:57	#17
citabriapilot Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 124	Re: AutoPilot or no AutoPilot Ahh yes... I'm pretty sure PDX had the biggest fleet of those. Only one of them would fly the approach well, and even then I only tried it on a visual approach. Seemed that the ones without the autopilot flew the best. N29UM anyone? We called it Ugly Monkey.

April 15th, 2007, 17:00	#19
mikecweb Old Skool Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: KBOS Posts: 2,871	Re: AutoPilot or no AutoPilot I'll use it in cruise when I'm VMC. __________________ Why run a company when you can destroy it - George Gonzalez When three failed airlines on a resume just isn't enough.

April 15th, 2007, 19:17	#20
jtrain609 Old Skool Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Park City, UT Posts: 12,377	Re: AutoPilot or no AutoPilot The Altimatic V's and KFC200's are HORRIBLE about holding altitudes. The S-Tec autopilots do a much better job of holding heading and altitude than any of the fancy crap. __________________

April 15th, 2007, 19:30	#21
KLB Old Skool Join Date: May 2005 Location: DFW Posts: 2,814	Re: AutoPilot or no AutoPilot This one was an altimatic. I tried to coupled approach in VMC going into BFI. I had to disengage the auto pilot because it was taking me a little to close to the skyline in downtown.

April 16th, 2007, 12:12	#24
SteveC Moderator Join Date: May 2003 Location: GRR Posts: 8,632	Re: AutoPilot or no AutoPilot Sure thing. __________________ . If life gives you lemons, throw 'em into a quart of vodka. ~Red Green

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