Problems with the Autopilots

[FADM Stern GNSF]

Im not sure if anyone else is having this problem, but its starting to drive me nuts. When I enter a game, all is fine, the 3 autopilots are on and the lights are glowing (after power up). When I push hover hold, i can turn it on and off.... so far, all is great.

 

Now, when I shutdown to rearm, or grab another chopper (which also has a bad habit of turning your view differnt ways each time), the autopilots go out to lunch.

The lights light up and say they are one, but they are NOT (big difference in feel between the two states). While the lights on the switches say on (lit), the overhead ones are OFF. The hover hold makes them all flash, and everything goes to hell in ahand basket.

 

Maybe Im missing something, but should not the "auto startup" bring the chopper to SAME SPOT every time ? Sometimes it turns on the ground target and follow target switches (as state they WERE in), and sometimes it doesnt. It seems its a dice roll as to what state your chopper will power up in, and that causes me to not trust half of the systems.

 

If there is something im missing here, someone please help. It gets very frustrating to have a perfect flight, then have everything go to crap when you power up from a rearm :-(

[AlphaOneSix]

This is probably not the best answer, but don't shut down to rearm. :D

[CiniKo]

....or if you shutdown, check if INU and INU heat switches are ON!

 

-LuKariello-

[Frederf]

My explanation for shutdown/rearm/startup is that the subsequent start up requires a re-INU alignment (since AC power was interrupted). You probably weren't running with engines above idle until very late in the procedure which means AC power wasn't available (since I'm assuming you didn't bother to get on the ground power truck's AC lifeline before lowing throttles to idle or off).

 

INU alignment takes 3 minutes or so and shouldn't be rushed. Not being INU aligned will mean all your favorite autopilot functions won't.

 

My suggestions are:

 

1. Never let the AC power source be interrupted during a mission. This means be on truck power until you have AC generators on and are at auto or max throttle. Do not lower throttle below auto until you plug back into the truck and turn the AC ground power on.

 

2. Hot rearm whenever possible. Just make sure the parking brake is on, flare dispensers and master arm are off.

 

3. Try not to use the LWin + Home/End shortcuts. They go through the procedure incredilby blindly and fast which means if you touch any switch or if any switch isn't in the proper state it assumes it can completely flub the whole start or stop. Also the speed at which the game does this doesn't always allow for full INU align.

[FADM Stern GNSF]

Excellent :-) That explains it now (and just figured out today I can rearm without shutting down lol). Does the same apply when starting a mission where you start with a dead chopper, if so, how can I tell when the INS is alligned and can safely take off. Was getting very frustrating having to fly mission with ALL autopilots shut off lol (yea I know, but I lived a LOT longer fighting the chopper for control, than letting the autopilot kill me).

[Frederf]

There's no visual indication of INU alignment. It's best to start the stopwatch at when the INU alignment starts and let 3 minutes elapse. Honestly I don't know when the INU alignment will start... is it once AC power+ the INU switch is on? Does it require engine start? I don't know.