By letting the FMS and autopilot do it however they want....I've got more important magazines to read....eeerrrr.....instruments to monitor than looking at my hand.
Thank God they are only "recommended," and that was always my excuse. Never could figure those things out very well. Most always confused, I just turned. Of course I usually had a RIO to help. Later, Flight Management Computers made my sim rides far more relaxed. In the RAG we once had a guy do... I can't today remember which .... either an Immelman or a Split S to enter holding. ATC was incredulous! The instructor was a bit pissed but didn't down him and he became evermore famous in the squadron.
Exactly. Most nutjobs are desperate for that really "sexy" explanation that includes a lot of intrigue, lies and conspiracy. Most people are simply unsatisfied with the real explanation 99% of the time, because it's logical, boring and makes the most sense.
First we talk about some silly cat, now we are talking about some old dude's razor. What is going on here at AirWarriors.com. Nerds! [just kidding]
Almost 300 hours and I still have no idea how that finger thing works (what's wrong with doing what is clearly the easiest entry when you get there). Only a little over 40 hours in the Harrier and I already forgot how to do a pencil in the eyeball point to point.
I just want a plane with an altitude hold autopilot. I can't even conceive of one with a coupled FMS. . .
I have about 1500 P-3 flight hours...of that number I would be willing to say that less than 20 are with ANY functioning autopilot component. Altitude hold, heading hold, AOB hold...whatever. I probably used the autopilot in the C-12 more than the P-3...at least I think it had an autopilot. I tried every time...
Wow, in my 3 (inexpensive, tiny A-4C & later) Squadrons, our Auto Pilot systems were kept up at about a 95% rate (an absolute must for 'crew rest' on our numerous weekend, coast to coast cros....er...oh yeah, navigation training flights). Neat APs w/ heading, altitude hold, yaw dampener, & control stick steering (AOB hold). BTW, back in the day, JP 4/5 cost $0.09 - $0.11 p/g ($6.00 - $9.00 p/bbl) until the meteoric climb started in the mid-'70s! Hard to believe, huh? BzB
I keep hearing the 3P is the autopilot... power source? 2 5-hr energies and a Monster That's insane. It's nuts to think how inexpensively fossil fuels used to be produced. JP-5 costs around $4.00/gal today, a 400% increase, and the g(r)as(s) on the other side isn't any greener. Try $15/gal for our A Global Force for
Example: 1967.....milk average $1.04 p/g. Only tripled over 45 yrs; big bargain compared to fuel (and most everything else today). BzB
