Recent content by SoCal 182 Driver

I've had the TruTrak for over a year, and it's been pretty solid. As recently as the day before the flight in question, I flew for two hours at various altitudes assigned by ATC, and did not have a problem with climbing. It held altitude. This is something new.

That's how I baro-sync the autopilot to the altitude shown on the G5. They were within 50' of each other, and when I would sync, they would be within 10' of each other. Yes, the control head did say "alt HOLD," but it wanted to climb regardless.

When in GPSS mode, I set the altitude for 10,500' on the autopilot control head. The plane would continuously want to climb above 10,500', and in the process the autopilot was asking for up trim.

Admittedly, I am not an avionics expert, but if the pitot-static system was functioning properly, and I accidentally activated the alternate static source, wouldn't that essentially be opening a leak to the pitot-static system?

This got me thinking. If I had accidentally activated the alternate static source switch, could that have caused the autopilot behavior I experienced?

I'd have to double-check, but I think I have about another year before I'm due for another check.

Is that a G5 component, or part of the autopilot system?

Avidyne IFD 540, dual G5s, and AeroCruze 100 (TruTrak) autopilot. I had a problem with my autopilot today. No matter what I did, or how many times I baro-synced, it wanted to climb. This occurred both when working off the G5 for heading and altitude, and also in GPSS mode, with altitude set on...

That's what I did for the flight home, and still got a different updated route.

That's what I had hoped to do, and in fact asked ATC at one point if I could do VFR-On-Top on my desired route. ATC refused. I suppose I could have cancelled IFR and flown VFR at an altitude above the cloud deck, but I wanted the experience of flying "in the system," so I just went with the...

Confirming the radio is a PJ2, and not a PJ2+. If a PJ2+, I'm interested.

This flight is best filed under the heading of, "Man Plans, and God Laughs..." The forecast of "severe clear" gave way to a pretty persistent cloud deck that extended several miles inland. I was unable to depart VFR. So, I accepted the updated clearance and flew that route. It was unfamiliar...

0900. So, here's what I've decided to do: I'm going to get my clearance on the ground. If it's not "as filed," then I'm going to ask if there's any way I can get "as filed" with an IFR to VFR on top at 9,500. If the answer is "yes," great. If the answer is "no," I'm going to cancel IFR and...

I filed for 11,000, and put in the notes that I was going to ask for VFR on top at 9,500.

That's been my experience. I filed a VFR flight plan for a long flight from NorCal to KCMA, and when I contacted ATC after taking off from a non-towered airport, they did not see the flight plan. I ended up asking for, and receiving, flight following.