In article . net,
"Colin W Kingsbury" wrote:

wrote in message
oups.com...

years. A Garmin 430 is most likely on the list for next year. I am
trying to convince Rick that with two pilots in the family, we don't
need 'no stinking autopilot' ;-). Not sure whether this argument will
hold when we face turbulent in IMC after getting our instrument
tickets.

Unfortunately your typical GA autopilot will be the first thing to quit in
turbulence. Still the single best IFR accessory you can have though.

I agree. Even a simple one which can do nothing more than hold heading
is extremely useful. Most planes will do a pretty good job of holding
altitude on their own (if you get the trim set right), but will slowly
turn one way or the other if you let go of the controls for more than a
few seconds.

Having something that can hold heading means you can re-fold a chart,
dig out an approach plate. or copy down a clearance without wandering
all over the sky. It also means you can think about big-picture stuff
like evaluating a decaying weather situation or estimate the effect of a
re-route on your fuel state.