![]() It will perform various other clever tricks such as ILS approaches though that sort of capability is beyond the scope of this article which is really aimed at the basic PPL holder. It will also maintain a fixed rate of climb or descent and is able to intercept and track GPS or VOR headings. The autopilot fitted to F-GUVE is a Bendix/King KAP 140 2-axis model which is capable of maintaining both heading and altitude. With most software, there are differences between what the manual says and what happens ‘in practice’ so it is essential to try out the various operations before using them ‘in anger’. “If all else fails, read the instructions” is not really a suitable strategy for flying aeroplanes though it can save quite a lot of time when setting-up earthbound computers. I had, of course, thoroughly perused the manual which is unusual for me as I normally just ‘dive in and have a go’ when exploring new computer software. When I first flew the Aéroclub de Limoges’ Diamond Star DA40 (F-GUVE) with Sue Virr as my Instructor, I was particularly keen to explore the capabilities of the autopilot.Īs a computer person (some might say “nerd”) of long-standing, I couldn’t really fly this aeroplane without trying it out.įlying under control of the autopilot was also a new experience for Sue whose other students didn’t seem overly enthusiastic about the concept of an aircraft which flies itself.
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