Are autopilots allowed for IFR training?

Can you use an autopilot when training for or being examined for an
instrument rating, or do you have to fly the aircraft by hand?

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Mxsmanic wrote:
Can you use an autopilot when training for or being examined for an
instrument rating, or do you have to fly the aircraft by hand?

There are varieties of "autopilot". 1,2,3-axis, coupled to GPS,
coupled to ILS, wing-leveler, etc.

Me, personally, have a 1/2-axis autopilot. Turn it on, it holds
the heading. Well, not really. Since it's not coupled to anything,
it doesn't know when there's any deviation, such as winds. I can
start out on a heading of 120, turn on the AP. If winds
are from the north, then my actual track is more southerly, depending
on the strength of the winds.

As for IFR training -- you betcha! It's one way to reduce the load on
the student. Need to get charts for an unexpected diversion? Turn on
the AP, reach over and get the charts and start looking for the
right one.

Now, the DE can fail the AP during the exam. In exams, almost anything
is fair game.

Blanche wrote:
Me, personally, have a 1/2-axis autopilot. Turn it on, it holds
the heading. Well, not really. Since it's not coupled to anything,
it doesn't know when there's any deviation, such as winds. I can
start out on a heading of 120, turn on the AP. If winds
are from the north, then my actual track is more southerly, depending
on the strength of the winds.

I assume you understand the difference between heading and track?

Roy Smith wrote:
Blanche wrote:
Me, personally, have a 1/2-axis autopilot. Turn it on, it holds
the heading. Well, not really. Since it's not coupled to anything,
it doesn't know when there's any deviation, such as winds. I can
start out on a heading of 120, turn on the AP. If winds
are from the north, then my actual track is more southerly, depending
on the strength of the winds.

I assume you understand the difference between heading and track?

It sounds like he does. He was giving a simple example of what would
happen if he set his autopilot heading to his course, with no
adjustment for wind. His track would then be affected, as he said.

Regards, Kev

Kev writes:

It sounds like he does. He was giving a simple example of what would
happen if he set his autopilot heading to his course, with no
adjustment for wind. His track would then be affected, as he said.

Are there autopilots that will actually hold the aircraft to a track
instead of a heading? I imagine it would require close integration
with a GPS or other navaids that permit the actual path over the
ground to be determined (GPS may provide this directly; it might have
to be inferred from other navaids).

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Mxsmanic wrote:
Kev writes:

It sounds like he does. He was giving a simple example of what would
happen if he set his autopilot heading to his course, with no
adjustment for wind. His track would then be affected, as he said.

Are there autopilots that will actually hold the aircraft to a track
instead of a heading? I imagine it would require close integration
with a GPS or other navaids that permit the actual path over the
ground to be determined (GPS may provide this directly; it might have
to be inferred from other navaids).


Any autopilot that has a NAV setting will he holding a track it just
follows a "virtual" needle from either a GPS or NAV receiver.

Roy Smith wrote:
Blanche wrote:
Me, personally, have a 1/2-axis autopilot. Turn it on, it holds
the heading. Well, not really. Since it's not coupled to anything,
it doesn't know when there's any deviation, such as winds. I can
start out on a heading of 120, turn on the AP. If winds
are from the north, then my actual track is more southerly, depending
on the strength of the winds.

I assume you understand the difference between heading and track?

Heading: direction in which the longitudinal axis of the aircraft
points with respect to true or magnetic north. Heading is equal to
course plus or minus any wind correction angle.

Course: intended direction of flight in the horizontal plane measured
in degrees from north.

Track: actual flight path of an aircraft over the ground. Also referred
to as ground track.

Ref: Aviation Dictionary, Jeppesen, 2003.

OK - my bad. I should have stated "start out on a course of 120". But
the use of "track" is correct, true?

Back to the OP question...
If the airplane used for the IR practical test has an
autopilot, the applicant is REQUIRED to be able to properly
use the AP. Therefore, training is required. AP failures,
IAP coupled, and tansitions to and from the AP are tested.
a.. Testing in modern aircraft with electronic flight
instrument displays has been addressed.
b.. The use of autopilot and flight management during
testing has been addressed.
c.. The requirement for the use of a view-limiting device
has been clarified.
d.. The need for testing in Single-Pilot Resource
Management has been addressed and clarified.
e.. Reference to the metric system has been eliminated.
f.. The body of the PTS has been updated to include
electronic flight instrument displays, flight management
systems, GPS, and autopilot usage.
g.. The need for testing basic instrument flight maneuvers
throughout the practical test instead of being treated as
separate TASKs has been addressed in AREA OF OPERATION IV.
FAA-S-8081-4D



The applicant is expected to utilize an autopilot and/or
flight management system (FMS), if properly installed,
during the instrument practical test to assist in the
management of the aircraft. The examiner is expected to test
the applicant's knowledge of the systems that are installed
and operative during the oral and flight portions of the
practical test. The applicant will be required to
demonstrate the use of the autopilot and/or FMS during one
of the nonprecision approaches.

If the practical test is conducted in the aircraft, and the
aircraft has an operable and properly installed GPS, the
applicant must demonstrate GPS approach proficiency when
asked. If the applicant has contracted for training in an
approved course that includes GPS training in the system
that is installed in the airplane/simulator/FTD and the
airplane/simulator/FTD used for the checking/testing has the
same system properly installed and operable, the applicant
must demonstrate GPS approach proficiency. When a practical
test is conducted for a 14 CFR part 135 operator, the
operator's approved training program is the controlling
authority.

http://www.faa.gov/education_researc...-S-8081-4D.pdf



"Blanche" wrote in message
...
| Roy Smith wrote:
| Blanche wrote:
| Me, personally, have a 1/2-axis autopilot. Turn it on,
it holds
| the heading. Well, not really. Since it's not coupled
to anything,
| it doesn't know when there's any deviation, such as
winds. I can
| start out on a heading of 120, turn on the AP. If winds
| are from the north, then my actual track is more
southerly, depending
| on the strength of the winds.
|
| I assume you understand the difference between heading
and track?
|
| Heading: direction in which the longitudinal axis of the
aircraft
| points with respect to true or magnetic north. Heading is
equal to
| course plus or minus any wind correction angle.
|
| Course: intended direction of flight in the horizontal
plane measured
| in degrees from north.
|
| Track: actual flight path of an aircraft over the ground.
Also referred
| to as ground track.
|
| Ref: Aviation Dictionary, Jeppesen, 2003.
|
| OK - my bad. I should have stated "start out on a course
of 120". But
| the use of "track" is correct, true?

"Jim Macklin" writes:

e.. Reference to the metric system has been eliminated.

Interesting. What does this mean?

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"Jim Macklin" wrote in message
news:ZBF_g.13272$XX2.1656@dukeread04...
Back to the OP question...
If the airplane used for the IR practical test has an
autopilot, the applicant is REQUIRED to be able to properly
use the AP.

I will not take the opportunity to point out that this information, and ALL of
the other information the OP has asked about is available online, either at the
FAA web pages, or by googling this group.

This same subject was discussed here, not more than a couple months ago.

I wish you all would quit spoon feeding, and enabling this guy. You would have
told any other person to google it.
--
Jim in NC