Center_Mid
Well-Known Member
Single pilot IFR - autopilot req\'d?
I just completed my IFR long xc this past weekend. I was flying a C172SP. The airways and traffic patterns were very busy and I was very glad to be flying an aircraft with a 3-axis autopilot. This leads to my question:
Do you think that an autopilot should be mandatory for single-pilot IFR? I DO NOT mean mandatory in the legal sense here. Still, do any of you regularly fly aircraft into IMC without an autopilot, or at least a wing-leveler? Is this by choice or because your employer cannot afford (or is too cheap) to install an autopillot? I found the thing so damn useful when I needed to pull out a chart or an approach plate (sure, I could have looked at the GPS-MFD, but I turned it off - too easy).
Maybe I'm just spoiled by the new equipment...
I just completed my IFR long xc this past weekend. I was flying a C172SP. The airways and traffic patterns were very busy and I was very glad to be flying an aircraft with a 3-axis autopilot. This leads to my question:
Do you think that an autopilot should be mandatory for single-pilot IFR? I DO NOT mean mandatory in the legal sense here. Still, do any of you regularly fly aircraft into IMC without an autopilot, or at least a wing-leveler? Is this by choice or because your employer cannot afford (or is too cheap) to install an autopillot? I found the thing so damn useful when I needed to pull out a chart or an approach plate (sure, I could have looked at the GPS-MFD, but I turned it off - too easy).
Maybe I'm just spoiled by the new equipment...