Using Your Autopilot

The point here is that once George is flying, our mental paradigm becomes letting him fly and just telling him what to do. This occasionally results in way too much energy and button-mashing to make a last-minute change. Its ever so much simpler to be hand flying in the first place and, well, aim elsewhere. So, pick an altitude below which youll always hand fly. Perhaps its 1000 feet AGL, or maybe all the way down to 400 feet (but no lower).

Frank Bowlin

Wednesday, August 15, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Autopilots are aids for routine tasks and higher-level planning, but pilots should hand-fly in critical situations like busy terminal areas (e.g., below 1000 ft AGL) and for avoidance maneuvers, as autopilots lack situational awareness and can complicate urgent manual takeovers.
The autopilot is an aid, not a crutch; pilots must first master manual flight and remain actively engaged, as they are ultimately responsible for the aircraft's adherence to flight parameters.
Always ensure the aircraft is properly trimmed for efficient autopilot function and to prevent servo wear. For course changes, be prompt with OBS adjustments, and for altitude changes, hand-fly, especially the final 1000 feet, to avoid busts and fumbling with complex buttonology.

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Autopilots save us from the routine tasks of keeping the shiny side up while allowing us the freedom to concentrate on higher-level tasks, like figuring out how the approach we’re about to fly is supposed to work. In so doing, they keep the plane going where it should—under our watchful eyes—and keep us out of trouble while we concentrate on those other chores.

Given the importance of autopilots to instrument flight in busy airspace, we should fully understand how to use them. Last month we covered some of the basics of how autopilots work and what they can do. (See “Autopilot Basics.”) Let’s now begin a two-part look at how we can best put those capabilities to use. Perhaps we’ll even pick up some tricks along the way.