Why? I've only recently put an autopilot in my plane, and it is jsut a
single axis one at that. Before installing it, I've never flown IFR WITH and
autopilot equipped plane (I have ~1100 hrs in 'the system'). Autopilot is
nice for flipping maps, taking clearances etc, but I don't consider it
mandatory. Even now, I hand fly most of the time. The autopilot mostly gets
used only when attending to other chores. For flying in the Northeast, I
think having a strikefinder or equiv spherics detector is a much higher
priority than having an autopilot.

Jon Kraus wrote:

IMHO an autopilot is a must have if you are flying IFR. :-)

Jon Kraus
PP-ASEL
Student-IA

Matthew S. Whiting wrote:

Dan Thompson wrote:

Are you kidding? The autopilot is a go/no-go item.

"Hankal" wrote in message
...

Study my Garmin 530 manual and learn three more things it does. Or
do a


VOR

cross check. Or total up the columns in my log book. Or trim


fingernails,

finish the crossword puzzle. If it is a real cross country you have


plenty

of dead time.


You are either a super pilot or have a autopilot.





What's an autopilot? :-)

Matt


--
--Ray Andraka, P.E.
President, the Andraka Consulting Group, Inc.
401/884-7930 Fax 401/884-7950
email
http://www.andraka.com

"They that give up essential liberty to obtain a little
temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-Benjamin Franklin, 1759