Real world question on GPS

[Guest gasebah]

Hi real world flyers,what I was always wondering:Do all those little and larger GA planes really have an autopilot and GPS as simple as it modeled in FS2002. Hook in a flight plan press AP Nav, slave it to the GPS press ALT HLD and have a few cups of coffee and a casual day. I simple cannot believe this.Clarification pls.Thx,Alex

[Guest rcritz]

If, in fact, the airplane has a GPS and an autopilot, yes it can be that simple. Many small GA aircraft have no GPS. Even fewer have an autopilot. And even fewer of those have an autopilot capable of altitude hold.

[Guest JeanLuc_]

Hi Alex,although they can be very simple, they are usually more at the level of this kind of GPS: http://www.avsim.com/pages/0702/realityxp/realityxp.htmHope it helps!

[LAdamson 240]

Even a handheld portable GPS can be slaved into a single or dual axis auto-pilot. Program your flightplan at home & then plug it in.L.Adamson

[Guest JeanLuc_]

is it TSOd? :-eek :)

[Guest DreamFleet]

A VERY popular GPS / moving map is this one:http://www.anywheremap.com/It runs on a Compaq IPAQ PDA, but you cannot couple it to an AP. It is also a tremendous value (very low cost). It is not IFR certified, but for the price you would not expect that.I've flown quite a bit with it, and despite the relatively small size of the IPAQ's screen, it is an incredible unit, very accurate, with features galore. :-)Otherwise, believe it or not, many AC are still flying with LORAN as they are still accurate and reliable. My friend's Mooney that I fly has a Northstar unit, and we use that along with the Anywhere Map. I spoke with my friend, who now owns my old Cherokee 235, and asked him if he replaced the LORAN with a GPS. His answer: "Why? The Loran does a good job, works fine".Yes, Loran is still alive and well in GA but, of course, the future is GPS.As to autopilots, 2 axis with ALT hold is the exception in real life, and the Mooney I fly may have a great IFR panel, and an HSI, but even it does not have ANY AP. My -235 had a single axis, with coupler to HDG and VOR/LORAN. The fancy APs that you see in the Cessnas in FS2002 are most likely to be found in brand new, $200,000+ Cessnas in reality, and they do not otherwise represent what is found in the majority of real GA aircraft.In a recent issue of AOPA Pilot magazine, Barry Schiff, the well-known retired TWA 767 captain, wrote about many real pilot's reluctance to use their autopilots to fly ILS approaches (GS hold); they preferred to hand fly them. He went on to give advice as to how to let the AP do it from time to time, while keeping a VERY watchful eye over things, following the yoke movements with your hands, and being ready to punch off the AP and take over if things do not seem right. One never blindly trusts an AP, you always keep track of what it is doing.Otherwise, in real GA, money and certification for a particular model of aircraft is the only limiting factor as to what you can have on board.Want a Garmin GNS 530 IFR GPS, along with a full-featured 2 axis AP with an HSI and Flight Director in your Piper Arrow? You can have it, just write the check, for about $40,000 or so. ;-)Regards,http://www.dreamfleet2000.com/gfx/images/F..._FORUM_LOUd.jpg

[Geofa 108]

My plane does have an autopilot with altitude hold/hsi which can be coupled to the ...shudder... loran!Lou- I have drooling over the anywhere map for several years-basically waiting for a bonanza mount. Now that they have one I was going to pick up one in Oshkosh but was told by an owner that it is virtually unsuable in any kind of turbulence-and that also reading in sunlight even with the compaq can be a problem.What is your take.. would appreciate any input.Thanks!http://members.telocity.com/~geof43/Geofdog2.gif

[Guest gasebah]

Thx everyone fr the extensive reply. By the way Lou, what I really like abaout the DF Archer is that it only has a single axis AP. Gives me something to do.Bst regds,Alex