![]() If the airplane’s heading temporarily deviates left to 355 degrees, it’s detected by the receptor and fed back to the controller which, in turn, inhibits this incorrect flight condition by commanding the effector/ailerons to bank the airplane to the right to the selected heading of 360 degrees. It’s called “negative feedback” because the result of a certain flight condition inhibits further performance of that flight condition.įor example, suppose the pilot selects a heading of 360 degrees with the heading bug on a horizontal situation indicator (HSI) coupled to the autopilot. Negative feedback loops require a controller, and effector and receptor system components as illustrated in Figure 1 on the opposite page. ![]() Let’s look at different autopilot systems, including a proposed classification system, and review some autopilot operating errors.Īt a basic level, an autopilot is a control system applying actions based on measurements, using a negative feedback, closed-loop design. Considered part of the aircraft’s avionics system, autopilots are designed to serve two basic purposes: enhance a pilot’s flight control capabilities and reduce cockpit workload by putting the airplane in an automatic flight mode. Sophisticated autopilots used in meeting the common definition of technologically advanced airplanes (TAA) are capable of performing a myriad of flight tasks. “They,” of course, are autopilots-electromechanical systems used to control an aircraft, and available in a wide variety of configurations and capabilities from simple wing-levelers to full-blown flight directors rivaling the modern transport jet you rode in last week.Īutopilots can function as a virtual copilot and-since we entrust to them control of the aircraft for hours at a time-it’s probably a good idea to consider how the various types are designed and deployed, along with their failure modes. And because the latest high-tech versions on the market can do just about anything for you except eliminate a potty stop, they’ve proliferated throughout all segments of the general aviation fleet. ![]() They go by different nicknames-”George” and “Otto” probably are the most popular-and have become an integral part of even a basic IFR platform’s standard equipment, especially when flown single-pilot. ![]()
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