Autopilot or manual?

I know this is close to several other threads here, but it is a little different so...

 

I'm still learning this whole new adventure of flightsim and especially how to use my yoke 'n' stuff and I've been staying manual. But sometimes I get frustrated and am tempted to just set the AP, grab a cup of coffee, and watch the scenery go by. But I figure I'll learn faster (obviously) and enjoy this new hobby more in the long run if I stick to manual flight, at least here in the beginning.

 

I'm curious to know how those of you who fly (sim) smaller aircraft do so. Do you use your autopilot most of the time or do you manually fly your aircraft?

I only fly GA, usually the stock C-172. On long cross country flights I'll set the autopilot and spend some time taking in the sights or checking out the AI. I have a lot of legacy airliners from the 1979's flying around with a special interest in Southern Aiways because I grew up in a Southern family. I recently bought the Carenado 172N though, and it doesn't have an auto pilot, so I hand fly it everywhere. The good part is that it levels out perfectly "on the step", as my Dad used to say about our plane. In short, do what makes you comfortable, fly where you want to fly, and read Pilot Operating Handbooks for fun and knowledge. I will tell you from real life experience, a 3 hour flight in a 172 without autopilot is a long, boring day!

Last thought; my Dad and brother were airline pilots. They took off, climbed to 10,000 feet, flipped on the auto pilot and had a cup of coffee. The only excitement was seeing which Playboy centerfold somebody had stuck in the Emergency Procedures Manual. That was the 1980's though, so things may have changed a bit.

Ah, the joys, trials and tribulations of manual flight! As long as you are not on an IFR flight and ATC isn't bugging you to death about being below or above your assigned altitude, it's good practice. A lot of different things have to be done so that level flight can be achieved.

 

I tend to set the A/P frequently on trips of 50 miles or greater, no matter the type of aircraft.

In the sim I fly a variety of light aircraft, from the Cub to the Baron, Stearman, Rockwell Shrike, etc., and I'll sometimes engage the AP, particularly if I'm just cruising enroute to somewhere. However in the traffic pattern and during a lot of my flying with a buddy (multiplayer), we fly formation and/or down low, in neither case allowing much AP use, so whether I use it or not is largely dependent on my needs at the moment.

 

You might note that the aircraft we (buddy and I) fly have all had AP added, if they didn't come with it.

 

In real life, most of the aircraft I flew didn't have autopilots, or had wing leveler only, though such as Baron, Bonanza, Bellanca Viking, etc. had such and I'd occasionally use the AP, depending, again, on the needs of the moment.

 

Keep in mind that real aircraft are generally easier to maintain altitude, airspeed and heading than is true in most sim aircraft, plus the "seat of the pants" feelings and other things made real ones (in most ways) easier to fly than those in the sim.

Yeah, I've read that flying IRL is a little easier than in a sim. And I think, in my case anyway, that's a good thing (I may at some point in the future take flying lessons). I flew out of Fresno last night and am trying to reach Yosemite with nothing but Google Maps, GPS, and my wits to guide me. I'm getting decent at trimming and being able to fly level without much effort, which I guess is kind of the same as using the AP. That's kind of what brought this question on.

 

(I really enjoy reading the posts here and learning what others do and why.)

I do both, depending on what I want to do on a particular evening. You say you have some sort of yoke, which is good, as opposed to just using the keyboard. Nothing wrong with sitting back and watching the world go by once in a while.

As I am teaching myself IFR, I usually fly GA Cessnas so using the AP is good for vectoring plus I can take a break for a coffee. I do not use GPS on my flights, I prefer to use paper charts. Nor do I use GPS or NAV on my AP, I use HDG and ALT hold only.

As most of my flights tend to be 2 to 3 hours in duration (with FSPassengersX) I don't accelerate time so manual flight would be a bit tedious after a while. But when I want to enjoy the thrill of flying I go low and fast and manual in a PC-9, C27-J or F-111.

I don't fly GA much. I mostly stick (Get it? "stick to..."? Most fighters use a stick...? nevermind :rolleyes: ) to military planes, fighters by preference.

I almost never use the AP on them. I fly them for fun. I do a LOT of ACM, BFM, and, especially, carrier ops. No chance to use an AP during all that. It's all throttle-n-stick work. Yes, I know HOW to use an AP, and during the Round The World Race every year I might throw the AP on to go use the head, or get some coffee, which is generally WHY I have to go use the head :p but other than that, it's strictly hands-on.

Mostly those are WWII fighters, so still not GA craft. But they closer to a GA bird than an F-14!

 

Anywho, there's my take on AP's. Why let the computer fly the computer generated plane?? Aren't we in this to FLY, or at least pretend to? Why just push a few buttons, turn a dial or two, and walk away? I've never been one for push-button flying, like the tubes. I got the sim to FLY the sim, not the AP.

 

Just my opinion, and we all know what those are worth...:p ;)

Have fun, no matter how you fly!

Pat☺

Depends on what I'm flying. If it's a simulation of a C-133 Cargomaster going transcontinental, Dover AFB to Travis AFB, or a Tu-95 Bear bomber flying from Murmansk to Havana, uh, yes, engage the autopilot for the many-hours-long cruise. I love the long hauls but manual flight for the entire journey is not realistic. The answer to Autopilot or Manual is: depends on what (and how) you are flying.

I fly high and fast in the F-22 Raptor a lot so the AP is necessary. Especially when I'm flying mach 2.35 which I know is unrealistic but it's fun. When I'm doing an airshow of my own I won't use AP at all.

 

When I'm in the Lear 45 I'll use the AP as well. The only time I may not use an AP is if I'm in a small plane, but that isn't often.