Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2013-2014 - 56
PILOT’S GUIDE Understanding Autopilot Upgrades What Pilots Should Know From the Installation Experts S T O R Y B Y J O A utopilots date back to the earliest days of aviation. Sperry’s first experimental model appeared less than 10 years after the Wright brothers’ first flight. During the years, they have become both more sophisticated and less expensive. Advanced autopilot features, such as flight director displays, GPS tracking and coupled approaches, are now common in even the smallest general aviation airplanes. Indeed, some instructors consider a working autopilot essential, if a glass panel airplane is to be flown by a single pilot under instrument flight rules. The increasing capability and decreasing cost of autopilots presents an opportunity for both avionics shops and aircraft owners. Many older airplanes were built without autopilots, and those built with older autopilots may eventually be upgraded, either to add new features, such as altitude hold, or to replace the existing autopilot with a more advanced model. However, autopilot installation and upgrade is among the most complex and demanding work an avionics shop may be asked to perform by owners. Autopilots, after all, interact with many subsystems, including electrical power, flight control and the instrument panel. In advanced installations, there also may be interactions with the powerplant. - 56 - H N D . R U L E Y To provide guidance on best practices for autopilot upgrades, we interviewed three experts, including two from avionics shops that regularly install autopilots and a third who works for an avionics vendor. Bob Weber of Mayday Avionics opened with a warning. “I worry that people with a little bit of knowledge can get into a lot of trouble,” Weber said. “You need to really understand the complete system before you start making changes. Autopilots are highly integrated with the airplane.” According to Weber, a successful autopilot upgrade begins with a thorough inspection of the airplane – ideally, before the quote is given to the aircraft owner. “Pay particular attention to the rigging,” he said. “Also, look at the electrical system. Check the aircraft’s damage history. You’ll need a complete list of any modifications that change the aerodynamic configuration: STOL kits, gap seals, vortex generators, aftermarket props. These may interact with the limitations of a particular autopilot. You want to know this before you get deep into the installation.” Elliott Aviation’s Mark Wilken agreed that pre-quote homework is essential. “Before the quote, you need to understand what auto-
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