Topic: Dash8-300 FMS/Autopilot Connection Problem

[Sidney Schwartz 11]

Well, I'm getting not response on the Just Flight support forum, so I 'll try here.

 

I recently purchased the Dash8-300 and am running it in FS9 under Windows 7. Overall I'm very happy with the plane. I have the FS /GPS installed on both versions of the panel, and I also added a NAV/GPS switch to the panels so I can have the GPS drive the autopilot instead of the FMS.

 

I do a lot of flying in Alaska and northern Canada, where navaids are sparse and you are more likely to find an NDB than a VOR. A flight plan consisting solely of NDBs is not uncommon.

 

Here's the problem. With pretty much every other FS autopilot I've used, if you switch the autopilot to VOR mode and there is no VOR signal being received, the autopilot will remain in VOR mode and wait for a signal. In the PSS Dash8, if I switch on VOR mode and no VOR signal is being received, the autopilot reverts to Heading Hold mode. I can understand the logic behind this, but it's the cause of the problem. If I can't switch the autopilot to VOR mode, I can't select AUX as the navigation source, which means I can't couple the GPS or the FMC to the autopilot. So in a case where I would most need the GPS or FMC to fly the route for me (NDBs don't have much range), they can't.

 

I hope I explained this clearly. Am I doing something wrong, or am I just stuck with it? I'd hate to have limit where I can fly this great plane.