LOW TIME vs. HIGH TIME

Tram said:
I have found myself only using autopilot in cruise..

I'm sure I'll get used to it, but I'm much more comfortable just FLYING the plane..

I had a captain the other day who insisted - I put on the autopilot..

We passed through 600 feet..

"Auto pilot on?"
"No thanks.."

We passed through 1,500 feet..

"Auto pilot on?!?"
"Nah, I'd like to fly it.."

At around 4,500 feet..

"Man, you aughta put the auto pilot on.."
"yeh, I could, but I'm just gonna hand fly it to altitude.."

Out of around 16,000..

"You sure you don't the auto pilot?!?!" (giving me the "yes nod" look)
"I'm sure.."

We finally level off at FL310 and I looked over at him and asked... "Autopilot on?"

Dude was like wiggin that I didn't click it on from the word go..
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That is hilarious. He seemed kind of nervous the whole time with the dang auto pilot off. Is turning the auto pilot on at 600 feet some kind of standard operation? I would at least want to hand fly it to 10,000 just for fun. Turning it on at 600 is pretty much like turning it on as soon as you leave the ground... no fun it that.
 
Tram said:
I have found myself only using autopilot in cruise..

I'm sure I'll get used to it, but I'm much more comfortable just FLYING the plane..

I had a captain the other day who insisted - I put on the autopilot..

We passed through 600 feet..

"Auto pilot on?"
"No thanks.."

We passed through 1,500 feet..

"Auto pilot on?!?"
"Nah, I'd like to fly it.."

At around 4,500 feet..

"Man, you aughta put the auto pilot on.."
"yeh, I could, but I'm just gonna hand fly it to altitude.."

Out of around 16,000..

"You sure you don't the auto pilot?!?!" (giving me the "yes nod" look)
"I'm sure.."

We finally level off at FL310 and I looked over at him and asked... "Autopilot on?"

Dude was like wiggin that I didn't click it on from the word go..
Click to expand...


Shouldn't it go on at 290?

I handflew the RNAV arrival into ATL the other day, and the captain got pretty giddy about it.
 
Taking off with no FD does flip some guys out. Especially in IMC. I shot a raw data ILS the other day down to about 500 feet before we broke out. In that captain's defense, if you are following SOP it is a bit more work for the PNF when the PF is hand flying. But the every few thousand feet thing sounds a little absurd.
 
Tram, next time you might just mention to your Capt the next time he asks you at 600 feet that you're gonna leave the autopilot off until TOC. I'm sure that would have kept him from asking you six times. Communication is the key. He can't read your mind, and if you're doing something he's not used to seeing, SOP or not, it could cause him some confusion.
 
It's normally good form if you've never flown with the CA before to mention during the takeoff briefing you plan on hand flying. I normally will hand fly up until about 16-18K, then I'm just bored, so I call for AP on. Don't forget about RVSM stuff, too. Generally not a fantastic idea to be hand flying above FL290 unless you're following an RA.

Most CAs we've got are fine with hand flying. We've got a couple that are a little...skittish.
 
Wow, if 1800 hours is thought of by the youngin's as "high" time - I'd hate to hear what they thought of me.

Auto is suppose to be flying anytime in RVSM airspace.



Max
 
DE727UPS said:
Tram, next time you might just mention to your Capt the next time he asks you at 600 feet that you're gonna leave the autopilot off until TOC. I'm sure that would have kept him from asking you six times. Communication is the key. He can't read your mind, and if you're doing something he's not used to seeing, SOP or not, it could cause him some confusion.
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I told him I was going to hand fly it to altitude.. That was in the brief..

The work load for the NFP is greater when the FP is hand flying, so I let the CA know..

He was a high mins captain and may have just been a little skittish..

You all make a good point about the RSVM.. I didn't even think about that, but will from now on..
 
Not to nitpick, but autopilot must be used to "maintain altitude" in RVSM airspace. Your free to hand fly up to and out of any RVSM altitude.
 
Tram said:
I have found myself only using autopilot in cruise..

I'm sure I'll get used to it, but I'm much more comfortable just FLYING the plane..

I had a captain the other day who insisted - I put on the autopilot..

We passed through 600 feet..

"Auto pilot on?"
"No thanks.."

We passed through 1,500 feet..

"Auto pilot on?!?"
"Nah, I'd like to fly it.."

At around 4,500 feet..

"Man, you aughta put the auto pilot on.."
"yeh, I could, but I'm just gonna hand fly it to altitude.."

Out of around 16,000..

"You sure you don't the auto pilot?!?!" (giving me the "yes nod" look)
"I'm sure.."

We finally level off at FL310 and I looked over at him and asked... "Autopilot on?"

Dude was like wiggin that I didn't click it on from the word go..
Click to expand...

Tram, you're my hero!
 
BobDDuck said:
Taking off with no FD does flip some guys out.
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Company policy here on the Beech - FD not authorized for Take Off until 400'AGL. I used the FD my first month online to help stay ahead of the airplane, but since then I haven't touched it once. Granted we don't have an autopilot on the Beech at all here at Colgan. But every approach I do is raw data, sometimes at 200+ knots. I love going into Boston and getting the ILS 22L or 4R. They usually like best forward speed till 4-5 miles, so I'll fly that thing at 220kts until 5, slam on the brakes, 188 Flaps 17, 180 Gear Down, 160 Flaps 35, full configured by 2 miles. :D Its awesome.
 
Airdale said:
Company policy here on the Beech - FD not authorized for Take Off until 400'AGL. I used the FD my first month online to help stay ahead of the airplane, but since then I haven't touched it once.
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Yeh.. We couldn't have the flight director in the Scream either until something like 400' AGL.. I didn't use it too much..
 
The CRJ requires (well, per the book anyways) a position update just prior to take off. You do that by hitting the TOTO buttons on the throttles and that checks what runway is loaded into the FMS and updates the fix solution with the stored coordinates for the runway arrival end. It also does a lot of take off bite stuff and puts up a 12 degree up (I think) FD that will maintain it's present heading when the wheels come off the ground. You can cancel the FD at any time, but many people don't.
 
BobDDuck said:
The CRJ requires (well, per the book anyways) a position update just prior to take off. You do that by hitting the TOTO buttons on the throttles and that checks what runway is loaded into the FMS and updates the fix solution with the stored coordinates for the runway arrival end. It also does a lot of take off bite stuff and puts up a 12 degree up (I think) FD that will maintain it's present heading when the wheels come off the ground. You can cancel the FD at any time, but many people don't.
Click to expand...

Good tool for a V1 cut I would assume.
 
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