when should your auto pilot kick in?

[rapid]

when I press waypoint/ then waypoint 1 entered/ then press route button on collective....then fly in direction of 1st way point how do i make the Auto pilot take over?

[Weta43]

If the autopilot channels are on, then when you press the route button ®, you'll get the autopilot trying to take you to the next PVI Routepoint - trim, relax.

If the autopilot channels are "off" - your autopilot is off & so can't fly you anywhere...

[Slayer]

I usually have to push the cyclic pretty far forward and trim it there when using route mode otherwise it seems to want to fly to the waypoint really slow....like 25-50 ish.

[rapid]

That sound like me Slayer maybe i have to get more of a speed up.

And all three Auto channels are activated.

Edited February 12, 2009 by rapid

[JDski]

Auto pilot worn't work if you have flight director on either.

I usually go in these steps.

 

Take off with fight director on and fly towards the 1st waypoint and trim.

Turn off flight director, then turn on route mode. As soon as I turn on route mode, the auto pilot takes over.

Auto pilot doesn't control speed. It seems much easier and faster to get close to your cruising speed and direction using flight director mode. Once there, then I turn on the auto pilot and then make finer adjustments to speed and altitude, and then I engage alt hold, and do a squeeze on the collective brake to set the altitude.

[rapid]

FD is off.