David Megginson wrote in message ...
(Michael) writes:
That's basically the argument, and I've heard it before in various
incarnations. In its most virulent form, it suggests that single
pilot IFR without an autopilot is inherently unsafe, because the
pilot simply doesn't have enough spare capacity to deal with ATC,
keep a weather picture, monitor the systems, and all the other stuff
he needs to be doing.

I'm still new enough to IFR flying that I might just not have had
enough opportunity to be scared properly by IMC, but it could be that
different people just find different kinds of things nerve-racking.
For me, VFR, it's busy uncontrolled airports, with people cutting each
other off all over the place; for other people, it's busy controlled
airspace, worrying about negotiating with ATC.

There's definately some truth to what both of you say here. For
example, we're now based at an airport which gives some local pilots
the heebie-jeebies. It's uncontrolled, has crossing runways, and
is inhabited by a large population of the most glorious antique
planes and homebuilts you'll see outside a flyin (ie many of the
planes are NORDO and radio work isn't a priority for many of the
pilots). When someone pulls onto the runway or lands crossing
my flight path while I'm on final, I think "Home, Home Again,
I Like to Be Here When I Can" (plenty of room, no dent no deal).
Another pilot might think "Scotty Beam Me Up!" or "OhMYGAWD!".

And it's a safe bet that if you put some of our local pilots into
busy controlled airspace, *they'd* be thinking "Scotty Beam Me
Up!."

But frankly, while I wouldn't go so far as to say flying w/out
an autopilot is inherently unsafe, I will say that I have no desire
to fly our particular make of plane in IMC without an autopilot or
a second person who can hold the yoke for a bit and it has nothing
whatsoever to do with transition training or proficiency.

I switched from a C172 to our plane fairly early in my IFR training,
and late in the game from a peaceful, gentle "what's two hundred
feet between friends?" procedural expert CFI to a CFI who is an exquisitly
skilled stick, expert in make aand model, takes no prisoners and
considers 20 feet a serious lapse in scan.

There's no question my rating took me way longer than it could
have, and no question I can fly my plane IMC without an autopilot
for long stretches, negotiate w/ ATC, get wx, pull out a chart,
program a GPS etc.

But without an autopilot or someone to hold the yoke, I'm STILL
going to be in a world of hurt if I get a major rerouting which
requires me to copy a new clearance or study a chart significantly
while thinking the pictur through.

It's just not stable enough.

Everyone I know in this make who doesn't have an autopilot, wants
one. Badly. And that includes my CFI, who can certainly fly
without one like he's on rails.

Too many people choose the wrong way. They simply assume that the
more demanding aircraft requires an autopilot (rather than more skill)
to fly IFR.

There is definately some truth to this. I know after hours and
literally years (well, that's another story) of remedial CFI beating
I can fly my plane in a way I didn't think it could be flown.
(Hopefully it doesn't have to take years to get there. I had a couple
of pregnancies and a baby involved.)

It may take more time, for some people, than they have to give to
flying or training -- which opens another can of worms. There's
something to be said for pilots who fly recreationally and can't
put a lot of time into flying sticking to simple, stable planes.
Cessnas and Pipers are popular for good reason.

But I don't think it's the whole story, either. It's just plain
tough to correctly absorb something like the big picture of a complete
rerouting if you can't spend significant time perusing a chart.
I don't care how gloriously skilled and proficient you are, it's
darn tough to do in 1 second intervals.

I don't think this point really ought to be argued. If you take
two pilots of equal, exquisite skill, both fully capable of plane
control at a near automatic level, which is going to have a better
grasp of the "big picture" when something significant changes
enroute? The guy who had to handfly the whole time, or the guy who
was able to turn the plane over to "George" for a few while he
processed the changes?

I'll bet money on the latter, every time. And that's the point of
this "value the autopilot" mantra.

FWIW,
Sydney