Auto Pilot Usage

In my 2.5 years of professional aviation, I have flown around 2000 hours. I have approximately 1.5 hours of time flying with an autopilot. This is not to say that one wouldn't be nice to have, just none of our planes have it equipped anymore.


Did i mention im a jump pilot... the only thing we have resembling an autopilot is the empty holes where the switches used to be. Our 182 (traveler) has an autopilot but its about as useful as a wet paper bag. it makes turns in 45 degree increments and with altitude hold on you are guaranteed to puke in 10 minutes. The only time I've flown with a functioning (good) autopilot was in a Bonanza in some low pressure muck ferrying it from maint. back home for a guy. it did great until i let it capture the glide slope and i got scared. (never done it before) and hand flew it the rest of the way in.
 
Lol....I don't dare mention how I fly....I've been labeled as dangerous. But basically..... Just fly the airplane....the automation is there to assist you.... Not the other way around. Watch children of the magenta. This industry has an automation dependency and complacency problem.
 
Again, it really depends on the aircraft and the situation.

Hand-flying an Airbus during an engine failure can be doofus in many situations. Not all, of course.

Trying to use the automation during a visual approach when you're downwind abeam the numbers without an ILS is pretty doofus as well, but again, not in all situations. 400 feet, engine failure, turn on the autopilot, it will trim to the beta-target (the "ball") automatically and manage your speed until you hit acceleration altitude. Do that in a mad dog and it's going to be all sorts of hilarity.

Doing it in the Airbus product doesn't make you less of a man, the autopilot is just going to do a better job at optimal trim and will run laps around you with speed targets in most situations. Engine failure, autopilot on, it trims itself, continues climbing, you hit 1000. Press to level off, hit the "EXPED" button at "Green Dot". Easy peasy. Otherwise you're going from direct law mixing in with flight mode as you climb, hopefully trimming the right direction, transitioning from "stirring the soup" to light taps of the stick as flight mode blends in and telling the NFP (non-flying pilot), who already has his hands full, to engage certain modes for you.

I think the challenge with a lot of us is we're looking for a universal answer where there is none. It really just all depends.

Analyze the situation, open your toolbox, use the best tool for the job.

There is no universal answer.
 
Damit, Dough, have you learned nothing? The answer is always to understand and USE the automation, as it was intended to be used! If you...er I mean we idiot pilots would just press the right buttons in the right sequence, like we...I mean they have trained you to do, you'd both never have anything bad happen AND get a tasty treat, every time. Honestly, Pavlov weaps.
 
Btw, @Derg - Remember, trim it to around 10 units before you give it to the AP on an engine out. :) After that it's all oui oui fifi!

Love,
Your friendly neighborhood SLI
(I just did a 302 today, which is first engine out lesson. Some butter was churned!)
 
Derg said:
Again, it really depends on the aircraft and the situation.

Hand-flying an Airbus during an engine failure can be doofus in many situations. Not all, of course.

Trying to use the automation during a visual approach when you're downwind abeam the numbers without an ILS is pretty doofus as well, but again, not in all situations. 400 feet, engine failure, turn on the autopilot, it will trim to the beta-target (the "ball") automatically and manage your speed until you hit acceleration altitude. Do that in a mad dog and it's going to be all sorts of hilarity.

Doing it in the Airbus product doesn't make you less of a man, the autopilot is just going to do a better job at optimal trim and will run laps around you with speed targets in most situations. Engine failure, autopilot on, it trims itself, continues climbing, you hit 1000. Press to level off, hit the "EXPED" button at "Green Dot". Easy peasy. Otherwise you're going from direct law mixing in with flight mode as you climb, hopefully trimming the right direction, transitioning from "stirring the soup" to light taps of the stick as flight mode blends in and telling the NFP (non-flying pilot), who already has his hands full, to engage certain modes for you.

I think the challenge with a lot of us is we're looking for a universal answer where there is none. It really just all depends.

Analyze the situation, open your toolbox, use the best tool for the job.

There is no universal answer.
Click to expand...

The above can be summarized with understand your aircraft systems, what they do, how they do it, and why they do it. Then, you'll know when its best to use it, when it's not optimal to use it, and what it will do when it degrades.

Not too much to ask, having systems knowledge and airmanship.
 
Oh yeah! :). Forgot that part.

I had to tell myself during some gusty conditions "oh that's me! Stop churning the butter, idiot!"
 
Is there an echo in here? :)

tumblr_n3hf3vJyXW1rjlxg7o1_400.gif
 
Derg said:
Again, it really depends on the aircraft and the situation.

Hand-flying an Airbus during an engine failure can be doofus in many situations. Not all, of course.

Trying to use the automation during a visual approach when you're downwind abeam the numbers without an ILS is pretty doofus as well, but again, not in all situations. 400 feet, engine failure, turn on the autopilot, it will trim to the beta-target (the "ball") automatically and manage your speed until you hit acceleration altitude. Do that in a mad dog and it's going to be all sorts of hilarity.

Doing it in the Airbus product doesn't make you less of a man, the autopilot is just going to do a better job at optimal trim and will run laps around you with speed targets in most situations. Engine failure, autopilot on, it trims itself, continues climbing, you hit 1000. Press to level off, hit the "EXPED" button at "Green Dot". Easy peasy. Otherwise you're going from direct law mixing in with flight mode as you climb, hopefully trimming the right direction, transitioning from "stirring the soup" to light taps of the stick as flight mode blends in and telling the NFP (non-flying pilot), who already has his hands full, to engage certain modes for you.

I think the challenge with a lot of us is we're looking for a universal answer where there is none. It really just all depends.

Analyze the situation, open your toolbox, use the best tool for the job.

There is no universal answer.
Click to expand...

Perfect example! The Airbus does wonderful engine-outs on the autopilot (except in Training Department Land in CLT, there are 2 things thou shalt not touch: The F/O tiller and the EXPED button! We just use "Pull, Pull, Pull" at Green Dot, OPEN CLB, Selected Speed and MCT).

I also agree with turning the A/P and F/Ds off when flying a visual. Works beautifully, too.

It's hard not to churn the butter when it's gusty, especially in a light 319. That thing's like a kite.
 
ERfly said:
Perfect example! The Airbus does wonderful engine-outs on the autopilot (except in Training Department Land in CLT, there are 2 things thou shalt not touch: The F/O tiller and the EXPED button! We just use "Pull, Pull, Pull" at Green Dot, OPEN CLB, Selected Speed and MCT).

I also agree with turning the A/P and F/Ds off when flying a visual. Works beautifully, too.

It's hard not to churn the butter when it's gusty, especially in a light 319. That thing's like a kite.
Click to expand...

Careful, ATN will call you an yeager needing to stroke your ego for turning it off! That's when panda gets mad. :D

I can't believe they don't let you touch the tiller... That sucks! We use the expedite button for high Grid MORA mountainous departures, too. Works great, lasts long time. :)

Yet again, here's the cat, that skin has to come off!
 
MikeD said:
The above can be summarized with understand your aircraft systems, what they do, how they do it, and why they do it. Then, you'll know when its best to use it, when it's not optimal to use it, and what it will do when it degrades.

Not too much to ask, having systems knowledge and airmanship.
Click to expand...
which is what neither crew displayed...the AirFrance nor the Asiana.

It's not their fault? Well they're in the wrong line of work.
 
ATN_Pilot said:
I've flown so little this past two years that I've had to go back to the sim for landing currency twice, and I've been real close a few other times. I'm at about 70 hours of block time for this entire year, so even if I did all of this silly hand flying, my number would be pretty low.
Click to expand...

You know what? For as absolutely ridiculous as you sound in this thread.

Anchorman-Im-not-even-mad.png
 
I'll just leave a little something from the NTSB be report on Asiana Flight 214. Take not on the US regulatory change supporting pilots regularly performing manual flight so their airplane handling skills do not degrade.
Screen Shot 2014-10-13 at 11.30.51 PM.png
 
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