OK, my apologies if I don't have the abbreviations right but I will try to explain my question. My understanding of the Garmin 500 is that it should drive the HSI CDI when in GPS mode. That doesn't seem to happen in FS9 although I thought it worked at some point. Instead you end up with a useless HSI and having to reference the CDI on the GPS itself. Are some planes set up that way? Is anyone else having better luck? I am using the FSD Seneca and Panther at the moment. ThanksDavid

If you load a flightplan, set the AutoPilot (A/P) ON/CMD, the NAV/GPS to GPS, and the A/P NAV button ENABLED (Lit), the GPS will drive the AutoPilot to follow the flightplan route. If no flightplan is loaded, the GPS has no waypoint to fly. It may just turn the aircraft to some direction and fly. In the two aircraft I tried, C172 and B737-400, the aircraft turned North and flew in that direction. I then pressed Directo (D-->), dialed in a waypoint, entered, activated. The aircraft then turned to the waypoint I just loaded. The HSI center bar offset until the aircraft was on the correct radial to the waypoint.W. Sieffert

Thank you for the reply. I understand what you are saying but what about if you use an approach from the Garmin database? In the real world the Garmin reminds you to dial in the proper course so you don't get misled by the HSI. In any case, the OBS never centers through the procedure. Maybe I will try a default plane just to see. Thanks again!David

This definitely is working with the Reality XP 530XP, and the CDI deviation is also scaled according to the actual phase of flight! (enroute, term...)Hope this helps!

The center bar on the HSI centers when the course is centered. If the pilot wants to turn the course indicator to the heading, then he/she is free to do so but the center bar doesn't care. The VOR OBS needle works the same way as the HSI. Turning the course to the heading is up to the pilot.This same thing happens during an ILS approach when using the NAV1 radio. The center bar or obs needle doesn't require the pilot to specifically turn the compass rose to the correct direction to be accurate. It is for the convenience of the pilot to remind him/her of the direction.W. Sieffert