SoCal 182 Driver
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- Sep 11, 2019
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SoCal 182 Driver
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Today I took my third flight with my newly installed G5s and TruTrak/Aerocruze 100 autopilot. The learning curve at this point is basically straight up! Important to this discussion is that I have a switch that switches the input to the autopilot from the G5 to the Avidyne 540 navigator. This gives me the option of setting headings on the G5, or flying the magenta line on the Avidyne.
My IFR instructor and I were being vectored to an RNAV approach, so I was using the G5 to input headings as instructed by ATC. I had the approach loaded into my Avidyne 540 and activated, but was not using GPSS and was using the G5 for heading vectors. As I was nearing the approach course, it dawned on me that at some point I would have to switch from G5 heading mode to GPSS from the Avidyne. Here's the scenario:
Cessna 1234, flying heading 230, maintain 3,000 until established. Clear RNAV Z into XXX.
All was good as I was flying 230 on the G5. Heading was right on, and with "Altitude Hold" engaged on the autopilot, my altitude never varied more than 10-20 feet. As I was approaching the approach course, I momentarily disengaged the autopilot, switched the input to GPSS, reengaged the autopilot, and set it for GPSS mode. The autopilot immediately moved to pick-up the magenta line, and did so perfectly. However, my altitude got screwed up, and I ultimately had to disengage the autopilot again, and hand-fly the approach. No big deal. The altitude got screwed up because the autopilot requires the autopilot to be in "Altitude Hold" mode to capture the glide-slope, and I didn't set altitude hold when I made the switch from the G5 to the autopilot.
So, with that long-winded explanation, here's my question: Remember at the beginning of this post where I said I had a switch that switched the autopilot input from the G5 to the Avidyne? Would I be doing any harm to the components if I switched the input while the autopilot was engaged, and then immediately, set it for GPSS mode? My thought is that if I could make that switch, reset the autopilot for GPSS, I would already be in Altitude Hold mode, and all that would be necessary would be for the magenta line to be intercepted, and the glide-slope captured.
Or, is there a better way to handle this scenario?
Any advice or comments would be greatly appreciated!
Today I took my third flight with my newly installed G5s and TruTrak/Aerocruze 100 autopilot. The learning curve at this point is basically straight up! Important to this discussion is that I have a switch that switches the input to the autopilot from the G5 to the Avidyne 540 navigator. This gives me the option of setting headings on the G5, or flying the magenta line on the Avidyne.
My IFR instructor and I were being vectored to an RNAV approach, so I was using the G5 to input headings as instructed by ATC. I had the approach loaded into my Avidyne 540 and activated, but was not using GPSS and was using the G5 for heading vectors. As I was nearing the approach course, it dawned on me that at some point I would have to switch from G5 heading mode to GPSS from the Avidyne. Here's the scenario:
Cessna 1234, flying heading 230, maintain 3,000 until established. Clear RNAV Z into XXX.
All was good as I was flying 230 on the G5. Heading was right on, and with "Altitude Hold" engaged on the autopilot, my altitude never varied more than 10-20 feet. As I was approaching the approach course, I momentarily disengaged the autopilot, switched the input to GPSS, reengaged the autopilot, and set it for GPSS mode. The autopilot immediately moved to pick-up the magenta line, and did so perfectly. However, my altitude got screwed up, and I ultimately had to disengage the autopilot again, and hand-fly the approach. No big deal. The altitude got screwed up because the autopilot requires the autopilot to be in "Altitude Hold" mode to capture the glide-slope, and I didn't set altitude hold when I made the switch from the G5 to the autopilot.
So, with that long-winded explanation, here's my question: Remember at the beginning of this post where I said I had a switch that switched the autopilot input from the G5 to the Avidyne? Would I be doing any harm to the components if I switched the input while the autopilot was engaged, and then immediately, set it for GPSS mode? My thought is that if I could make that switch, reset the autopilot for GPSS, I would already be in Altitude Hold mode, and all that would be necessary would be for the magenta line to be intercepted, and the glide-slope captured.
Or, is there a better way to handle this scenario?
Any advice or comments would be greatly appreciated!
