Autopilot Questions

[smartguy24]

The autopilot on my A320 works great, however the one on my A321 and A319 doesn't work like I think it should.

The one on my A320 is a switch, but on my A319 and my A321, its a button that lights up green when pressed, but it doesn't do anything. Like the plane keeps on turning rather than getting locked into a straight and level cruising altitude.

How do I go about making this work?

[aReyoUIn86]

Where did you download your A319 and a321 from. Example project open sky...And if it doesn't do what it told to do, what does the autopilot do?

[TSC.]

I haven't seen the AP in question, so this is just a guess, but it sounds like the 'button that lights up green when pressed' is just the AP master switch. You will probably find that there are some other buttons around for things like course hold, nav hold, alt hold & approach, these will need to be switched on after you've switched on the master switch.

TSC.

[ashaman]

You should at the very least say which panel you're talking about and applied to which planes, to put your would-be helpers in a condition of answering you correctly.

[smartguy24]

Ok...lets see if I can explain this in more detail.

I downloaded the A320 from IFDG.

I downloaded the A319 and A321 from...well actually, those two planes came from Virtual Air Canada.

The A320 panel I have, I'm not sure how to describe it really...but the autopilot switch when I turn it on, it locks the plane in. Doesn't bank, doesn't go up or down. Just flies level on its own.

This is what I meant by "what I think it should do".

The A319 and A321, have the autopilot master switch. Is it really that different from the switch I find in my A320? When I pressed that one...both planes continue to fly like there's nobody at the controls, they increase their climb, start to go descend, turn to the left or the right...it doesn't lock the plane in like I want it to.

Any better?

[flaminghotsauce]

In general, you want to tell the autopilot what exactly you want it to do. Do you preset your altitude BEFORE you turn it on? Heading? Flight plan? If you turn it on and it starts turning or decending, you probably have things set that the AP is trying to accomodate.

Or are you wanting an automatic "hold it right here" type device?

If I fly IFR anywhere, the flight plan is in, the altitude is set, the heading bug is set (even if I don't really need it), so all is prepared when I turn it on. ONE thing I seem to forget regularly is to put a POSITIVE climb rate in. Often it tries to climb at a negative rate, which is of course a decent. Plan ahead, stay ahead of the plane. Don't launch until you are ready.

When I fly VFR, just tooling around in a Cessna or something, I might have an altitude preset, and the heading bug near the direction I want, but I don't worry about it too much.

[smartguy24]

Or are you wanting an automatic "hold it right here" type device?

That's exactly what I want. Geez, I wish I coulda come up with that phrase in the first place.

Its what I have on my 320, and what I want in my 319 and 321. So how do I get it? Can I like copy the panel folder from the 320 into the 321 and 319?

Although that thing you were saying about IFR makes a lot of sense. So if I set a cruising altitude of say...30000 feet, and am at say 24000 when I turn on the autopilot, the plane will start to climb to get to 30 and then level off?

[vololiberista]

.So if I set a cruising altitude of say...30000 feet, and am at say 24000 when I turn on the autopilot, the plane will start to climb to get to 30 and then level off?

Yes!!!  8)
Vololiberista

[JBaymore]

A good resource for you is to check out the Learning Center in the FS9 program itself.  A wole section is there on stuff like the autopilot and flying heavy jets.  

best,

....john

[smartguy24]

A good resource for you is to check out the Learning Center in the FS9 program itself.  A wole section is there on stuff like the autopilot and flying heavy jets.  

Ah...I shall do that. Thanks, John

[Franky_4_Fingers]

A "hold it right here" configuration would be having the HDG set at the same direction as you're flying (top), and put the LVL on or set altitude to current altitude.

[aReyoUIn86]

Does the autopilot short cut key work? They are Z + Ctrl H + Ctrl Z + Crtl Shift Z

[smartguy24]

A "hold it right here" configuration would be having the HDG set at the same direction as you're flying (top), and put the LVL on or set altitude to current altitude.

Sounds simple enough...how do I set that though?

This place is gonna make me a frickin Flightsim genious.

[flaminghotsauce]

So if I set a cruising altitude of say...30000 feet, and am at say 24000 when I turn on the autopilot, the plane will start to climb to get to 30 and then level off?

That's what it will try to do, but you'll have to watch your speed. As the air gets thinner at altitude the Indicated Air speed will decrease, and you can stall the aircraft. You will have to decrease the rate of climb as you get higher and higher in the flight levels. You may be as low as 500 FPM climb rate up around FL400.

It's pretty easy, you'll get it.

[smartguy24]

Thanks flaminghotsauce, (great name by the way) and to everybody who's taken the time to respond to me. After reading through what you've all said...I've figured out how to get the "hold it right here" device I've wanted. Only its better...cause I can get the plane to fly at a precise altitude...whereas before I was trying to make myself completely level before intiating autopilot.

Haven't experienced that stall problem yet...but when I do...you can bet I'll be back here  ;)