Manual Flight - What's your thought?

Which do you prefer?

  • Manual Flight

    Votes: 23 65.7%

  • Automated Flight

    Votes: 11 31.4%
  • Total voters
    35
Screaming_Emu said:
True, but I also look at it as a challenge. Be as precise as I can be while being as smooth as possible. My goal is to make it so that if a passenger closes their eyes, they can't tell that anything is changing. Actually in a lot of cases there are some things that I can do much smoother than our autopilot (like intercept a localizer in any sort of a crosswind).
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Bingo... the autopilot is a good workload reducer in many cases, but it sure as heck is rarely as smooth as a sharp person hand flying.

For the OP- hand flying in cruise is just a chore after a few minutes. :)
 
Boris Badenov said:
I think the apposite analogy might be "what if when your bike breaks you either jog or die?" Seems like a pretty good advertisement for being able to jog.
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Sure, I agree, but this analogy isn't related to my original point.

I wasn't saying hand flying skills don't matter if we fly automated aircraft.

My point was that some pilots somehow think they're better pilots, or tougher, or cooler, or sharper, or whatever, because they either don't have the equipment or choose not to use it. I was referring to the OP's reference to his instructor flying a lengthy cross country in a modern aircraft and choosing to hand fly the whole trip, or the OP's desire to fly a 182 with no autopilot.

If that's what makes them happy, great. In my opinion, it's a waste of energy though. What are they learning by hand flying straight and level for several hours? What are they proving by hand flying some radar vectors?

I understand the need to stay proficient. If a pilot wants to hand fly an approach to stay sharp, sure, go for it. If they think they can make an altitude level off smoother than George and keep the passengers happy by hand flying, super.

Like I said, I've spent plenty of time hand flying. Nothing wrong with it. I'm not one of those, "OMG! You're hand flying an ILS in IMC? You're dangerous!" types of pilots. Hand flying is perfectly acceptable.

But now that I'm flying planes with the latest and greatest autopilots, why *not* use them? I'm no glutton for punishment. It's all about working smarter, not harder.
 
For now, hand flying. I'm sure as I fly larger things into busier places that might change a little.
 
ChasenSFO said:
Since right now an Arrow is the biggest thing I'm flying, I hand-fly. Only use auto-pilot in these GA planes when the cruise is over an hour of straight and level flying, even then you still need keep pressure on the rudder usually. Automation is important in the big jets, but at the GA level, I don't see why people would pay to rent an airplane just to let it fly itself.
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A resourceful pilot will be familiar with the autopilot in the airplane and ready to use it to relieve workload. This could be on an instrument approach, or even VFR when there happen to be a number of other tasks currently pressing. This applies at the GA level as much as anywhere else. I fly a C172S with a KAP 140 (an admittedly subpar device) and routinely practice approaches with the autopilot so I'm ready to use it should the need arise.
 
Low workload and ill fly to fl200(company limitation). Ap comes off below 10 usually. As our sids and stars become more complex, Im definitely relying on the automation more though.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk 2
 
turbomax97 said:
Low workload and ill fly to fl200(company limitation). Ap comes off below 10 usually. As our sids and stars become more complex, Im definitely relying on the automation more though.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk 2
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Flying a complicated procedure that is known is advance is where the automation shines. I have NEVER seen my airplane (MD-11) miss a crossing restriction that was coded correctly absent a pilot input (or lack thereof) that created the issue, or an actual database coding problem (thanks to Jepp's database error), but the pilot needs to check that the FMS info is accurate in advance and that will prevent that issue. That is in almost 20 years on the airplane. However, as soon as you get vectored off or are doing your own thing, then the lower levels are more appropriate.
 
seagull said:
Flying a complicated procedure that is known is advance is where the automation shines. I have NEVER seen my airplane (MD-11) miss a crossing restriction that was coded correctly absent a pilot input (or lack thereof) that created the issue, or an actual database coding problem (thanks to Jepp's database error), but the pilot needs to check that the FMS info is accurate in advance and that will prevent that issue. That is in almost 20 years on the airplane. However, as soon as you get vectored off or are doing your own thing, then the lower levels are more appropriate.
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There's a heading select page on the FMS, I call it space cadet mode—I have a perfectly good heading mode on the flight guidance control panel, confound it!
"Brand Y 5155, turn left heading two three zero."
"Left to two three zero, Brand Y 5155."
-type type type type-
"Dude!"
 
Autothrust Blue said:
There's a heading select page on the FMS, I call it space cadet mode—I have a perfectly good heading mode on the flight guidance control panel, confound it!
"Brand Y 5155, turn left heading two three zero."
"Left to two three zero, Brand Y 5155."
-type type type type-
"Dude!"
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When those headings are built into a departure or arrival procedure in the FMS database, it's extremely nice. LNAV all the way, baby!
 
Automation management is becoming increasingly important in single pilot operations (especially SPIFR). Time and place people, time and place. Handflying has it's place as does autopilot use, so I think it is extremely important for a pilot to be profiencient in all aspects of his/her airplane, including automation management. You'd be suprised at how many GA pilots don't know how to use their GPS beyond the direct button.
 
staledog said:
Since you asked about regulations regarding the autopilot, yes you are required to use it in RVSM airspace, which is from flight level 280 (28,000 feet) to FL410 (41,000). Other than that, you can pretty much hand fly it if you want to.
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Hmmm, Since when?

Anyways, most of the time automation does a way better job than most people can, and since safety is most important why not use it? No need to be stroking your ego with a full boat of pax. Now if it is acting up yes override it... That said Ill hand fly typically until accelerating to our climb speed ( 290) and hand fly visuals.
 
I usually hand up up to cruise altitude (typical around 8,000-19,000 feet) then put it on then disconnect it usually passing through 5,000 feet or so. Sure when the weather is bad, and ATC starts handing out holds and reroutes, I'll keep it on.
 
flyinguitar said:
A resourceful pilot will be familiar with the autopilot in the airplane and ready to use it to relieve workload. This could be on an instrument approach, or even VFR when there happen to be a number of other tasks currently pressing. This applies at the GA level as much as anywhere else. I fly a C172S with a KAP 140 (an admittedly subpar device) and routinely practice approaches with the autopilot so I'm ready to use it should the need arise.
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IFR, sure. But If a VFR flight gets so crazy that I need the autopilot because other tasks are more pressing then physically flying the aircraft, I'm taking a step back. I'd probably sooner tell ATC "Woah mayne hold up" then engage the autopilot so I can juggle 4 other things. Of course, there are always exceptions, like joining the mile high club.
 
ClarkGriswold said:
Hmmm, Since when?

Anyways, most of the time automation does a way better job than most people can, and since safety is most important why not use it? No need to be stroking your ego with a full boat of pax. Now if it is acting up yes override it... That said Ill hand fly typically until accelerating to our climb speed ( 290) and hand fly visuals.
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Congrats, you were the first person to catch that. Flight level 290 it is.

And I agree with your thoughts on using the AP too.
 
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