On May 7, 6:22 pm, Mxsmanic wrote:
Some questions on autopilots for pilots of small GA aircraft:

1. Do you have an autopilot in your aircraft? If so, how many axes/modes?

Yes, 3-axis and autotrim with heading, nav, and backcourse mode while
holding attitude, altitude, or glideslope.

2. Which modes do you find yourself using most often, and in what conditions?

Enroute altitude mode, nav or heading.

3. Do you use your autopilot differently between VFR and IFR flight? If so,
what do you do differently?

Not really, I fly approaches manually since I don't fully trust the
autopilot's calibration.

4. How much do you trust your autopilot? Have you experienced failures? Were
they inconveniences or did they impact safety?

Sometimes it will track a degree or two off course. Fine for nav, but
less ok for approaches. It's switched off in the past also. It has not
compromised safety because I monitor it at all times.

5. Do you find that autopilots add safety or merely add convenience?

Both. I'd be a lot more tired at the end of a long cross-country if I
had to hand-fly it the whole way.

6. Excluding situations in which autopilot is required (autolands, RVSM,
etc.), are there situations in which you prefer not to fly without an
autopilot?

Pretty much any time I'm doing something other than droning along on a
cross-country. Flying is supposed to be FUN! How much fun can it be
with the autopilot going all the time?