Why I love my digital autopilot

[NoHeat]

Looking at my most recent flight on Flightaware made me realize how very nice a digital autopilot is, when used with a WAAS navigator. It flew a perfect course reversal into an LPV RNAV approach, and I had very little to do, besides adjust the throttle, along with stepping down the altitude setting until the glideslope was captured.

Coming back from Minnesota, the weather was kinda yucky, but no icing and no convection, so all was good and I could just enjoy a perfect approach. The runway appeared just exactly where it was supposed to, and I never wandered off course by any detectable measure.

In my case, it was an Avidyne DFC90 autopilot, and a GTN650 navigator. It’s like riding on rails.

 

[Kenny Phillips]

I'd hate to see my tracks when I was doing instrument training, sans autopilot.

 

[NoHeat]

Haha, well I do also hand-fly approaches, for proficiency, and there is a reason that I’m not posting their Flightaware tracks: they look like the product of a four-year-old kid with an etch-a-sketch.

 

[lancie00]

I'm jealous. Looks great. Here's mine all hand flying.

 

[Checkout_my_Six]

People compliment me on the crazyiness of my flightaware profiles....

 

[NordicDave]

Sweet! Thanks for sharing.

 

[WannFly]

hand flying all the way... to be fair, it was glass smooth

 

[Raymo]

Dynon Skyview autopilot in my RV-7A with IAS hold for climb and VS set for descent. No IFR navigator yet. Had to go to 10.5 to get over clouds. The hook at KLHW is to get around a restricted area, using track mode and turning the knob as needed. Flew the next day from KMAC to KAXQ in 3.4 hrs with a 10+ MPH tail wind and 200+ MPH GS at 7.5 to 8 GPH. Love this speed machine.