Flying
- Thread starter Justin
- Start date
way to start a fire when you're new....
1st Welcome to JC.
2nd I have heard many will hand fly up to fl180 and kick on the AP after that.
ComplexHiAv8r
Well-Known Member
I know a few company owned airplanes that give the AP at 300AGL. Same on landings. I dont call them pilots and I REFUSE TO FLY WITH THEM!!!
Welcome to JC!
What is the SOP at most companies for AP use? Is there one?
Welcome to JC!
What is the SOP at most companies for AP use? Is there one?
greaper007
Well-Known Member
I've heard that Southwest puts it on at 700 feet.
Flysher
Well-Known Member
I think it depends alot on who you work for and what you fly. I fly freight in light twins and turbine singles and I hand fly 80 - 90 percent of the time. Ill kick on the auto pilot for those really long legs or when the workload gets insane and I need my hands for something else like paperwork or digging out a chart.
TaterSalad
New Member
I generally hand-fly up to 10k, then turn on the autopilot. Usually turn it off whenever we start maneuvering for the approach. But that all depends on the day..........somedays I feel lazy, and the autopilot goes on at 1000' and stays on until DH.
mtsu_av8er
Well-Known Member
When I'm in extremely busy class B airspace, at night, dodging weather, in IMC, I'll turn on the aut . . . wait, we don't have those.
Belay my last . . .
Belay my last . . .
most operators give minimum altitudes for autopilot use..i.e. 500ft agl after takeoff, and no lower than 200ft on an approach. Outside of that, anything goes...I usually fly it to 10000, sometimes 18000, and some days up to about 1500.....it depends entirely upon the person flying..i've flown with a couple guys that hand fly all the time.......:bandit:
Grabo172
Well-Known Member
You said belay... hehe hehe
Anyway... I know it's not a charter jet, but when I did some charter in a Saratoga II HP, I generally put the auto pilot on at 1000 ft and turned it off when I started gettting vectored around alot for landing... makes it very nice to really monitor the airplane and engine to make sure everything is working the way it should be.
I use autopilot as a tool not a crutch. I think thats what most pilots do once they get out of the training enviornment, if they have one. If I'm reaching for a chart or doing paperwork i'll put it on. On the days I have really long legs I'll flip it on and eat my lunch and maybe read the paper. But for climbs and decents our autopilots really aren't that good at it so its easier to just hand fly it.
seagull
Well-Known Member
"no lower than 200ft on an approach"? That applies to your airplane, but not to any of the jet transports I've flown. Even our non-autoland 727s are good to 50' (and I think most of our 727s are autoland capable, now). Min autopilot engagement altitudes also vary by aircraft type/equipment.
The answer to the question initial question is "as much as I want to", absent other weather or workload restrictions. Altitudes limitations that you use it are not driven by the airline (usually), but are aircraft limitations. I will put it on early if the workload/conditions require it, but will sometimes hand fly to cruise altitude. Same on the way down. I've turned it off at top of descent (not too common) and, of course, have left it on until it came time to exit the runway on landing!
ComplexHiAv8r
Well-Known Member
I thought the rope you had was for the wing leveler???
Looking4Lower
New Member
FWIW, the plane I fly has a 200' AGL limitation for A/P use on approach.
I generally hand-fly the departure until there's not much maneuvering left to be done, then the A/P goes on. Arrival and approach - it depends, but I'll normall hand-fly a visual.
And don't forget, you're required to use the A/P in RVSM airspace!
I generally hand-fly the departure until there's not much maneuvering left to be done, then the A/P goes on. Arrival and approach - it depends, but I'll normall hand-fly a visual.
And don't forget, you're required to use the A/P in RVSM airspace!