Advanced Autopilot Use

Suppose that I am faced with an either-or situation with my autopilot. If I were told I couldnt use the autopilot at either cruise or while being vectored and flying an approach, Id chose to use it on approach. Sure, autopilots help relieve the tedium of long cross-country flights, but they regularly change a stressful approach into a rewarding experience. Lets look at some general tips, then take a close look at how to get the most from your autopilot on approach.

Frank Bowlin

Sunday, September 16, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Rigorous adherence to correct autopilot modes and altitude preselector settings is crucial, such as always selecting HDG mode before turning the heading bug and only entering cleared altitudes.
For approaches, diligently manage the altitude preselector by setting leg altitudes as fixes are crossed, and immediately selecting the missed approach altitude upon reaching the MDA/DA.
Specific techniques are necessary for complex scenarios like back course approaches, ensuring the autopilot corrects correctly, and for high-altitude emergency descents, which benefit from pre-setting 10,000 feet for rapid response.

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Suppose that I am faced with an either-or situation with my autopilot. If I were told I couldn’t use the autopilot at either cruise or while being vectored and flying an approach, I’d chose to use it on approach. Sure, autopilots help relieve the tedium of long cross-country flights, but they regularly change a stressful approach into a rewarding experience. Let’s look at some general tips, then take a close look at how to get the most from your autopilot on approach.

Technique Tips

Like most of flying, rigorous adherence to technique or procedure keeps you out of trouble with your autopilot. Probably the most common mistake using an autopilot is having the wrong mode set. Say you’re at cruise using GPSS NAV mode. ATC calls, “Turn left one-zero degrees for traffic. Expect direct NEXTT.” You acknowledge and turn the heading bug 10 degrees to the left and go back to reading your newspaper.