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Old 07-09-2013, 05:39 PM   #481
Vectors2Final
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Join Date: Feb 2002
Chapter/Region: TXIC
Location: Austin, Texas
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Thumper23 View Post
I will say, when I was only a wingman, I never engaged autopilot or autothrottles, always was hand flying it. But then on workups for my flight lead, I learned engaging the autopilot gave a steadier platform for me wingman to fly off of. I will say my simple ability to stay on heading and altitude (+/- a few degrees, 50 or so feet) degraded if I was hand flying. But hell, shooting approaches is all manual unless the weather is really bad then I'll at least engage the autothrottles so I have one less thing to worry about.

Of course, that's all the AIRNAV part of the flight, the rest of tactical flying is all by hand.

But autopilot in a single piloted aircraft is necessary. I got too much crap going on. Especially when I'm digging through my bag for the new STAR or approach that ATC just gave me or some random ass waypoint that I don't have loaded into my system (I have to enter the lat/long).

Go PAR!

I've worked with some Navy Controllers before. Good peeps, makes me wish I would have did that instead.


I'm sure autopilot is great, but your skills still need to be practiced "just in case".
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