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Autopilot makes altitude going rapidly up and down

Featured Replies

Hi,

when the autopilot of Cessna 172 without glass cockpit is all correctly set and working, suddenly the altitude goes rapidly up and down. I tried already to change the Control Sensitivity but there is no adjustment control anymore. In my former time as real life pilot we said unstable oszillation.

Bernie

P.S. Why does Microsoft make more traditional cockpits. Many Pilots do not like glass cockpits for light aircrafts. In addition, glass cockpits are also not good for training.

  • Author
8 hours ago, Sterzenbach said:

Hi,

when the autopilot of Cessna 172 without glass cockpit is all correctly set and working, suddenly the altitude goes rapidly up and down. I tried already to change the Control Sensitivity but there is no adjustment control anymore. In my former time as real life pilot we said unstable oszillation.

Bernie

P.S. Why does Microsoft make more traditional cockpits. Many Pilots do not like glass cockpits for light aircrafts. In addition, glass cockpits are also not good for training.

It should be: P.S. Why does Microsoft make not more traditional cockpits.

I have observed the same problem. I think this is a bug. I do not have this problem with Aerofly FS2.

  • Author
3 minutes ago, spatz16548 said:

I have observed the same problem. I think this is a bug. I do not have this problem with Aerofly FS2.

My guess is the problem may related to elevator sensitivity. But since shortly there is not a possiblity to change Sensitivity in the control page and  I do not know how to change that inside program configuration.

9 hours ago, Sterzenbach said:

Hi,

when the autopilot of Cessna 172 without glass cockpit is all correctly set and working, suddenly the altitude goes rapidly up and down. I tried already to change the Control Sensitivity but there is no adjustment control anymore. In my former time as real life pilot we said unstable oszillation.

Bernie

P.S. Why does Microsoft make more traditional cockpits. Many Pilots do not like glass cockpits for light aircrafts. In addition, glass cockpits are also not good for training.

Question of interest for me.  Had you done anything at all with the autopilot, including any pre-selections, even when on the ground before flight?  By Pre-selections I refer to desired altitude, vertical speed setting, AP on/off, etc. Question is not were you using the autopilot at the time.  Question is if you had done anything with it during that session?

Edited by fppilot

Frank Patton
Corsair 5000D Airflow Case; MSI B650 Tomahawk MOB; Ryzen 7 7800 X3D CPU; ASUS RTX 4080 Super; 
NZXT 360mm liquid cooler; Corsair Vengeance 64GB DDR5 4800 MHz RAM; RMX850X Gold PSU;; ASUS VG289 4K 27" Display; Honeycomb Alpha & Bravo, Crosswind 3's w/dampener.  
Former USAF meteorologist & ground weather school instructor. AOPA Member #07379126
                       
"I will never put my name on a product that does not have in it the best that is in me." - John Deere

2 hours ago, Sterzenbach said:

It should be: P.S. Why does Microsoft make not more traditional cockpits.

If you're going to jump on his grammar, it should be:

 

Why does Microsoft not make more traditional cockpits.

  • Author
14 hours ago, fppilot said:

Question of interest for me.  Had you done anything at all with the autopilot, including any pre-selections, even when on the ground before flight?  By Pre-selections I refer to desired altitude, vertical speed setting, AP on/off, etc. Question is not were you using the autopilot at the time.  Question is if you had done anything with it during that session?

Yes, all correctly set. During session flightlevel change was made, but that should not the reason fore the erratic unstable vertical speed. Further information: When vertical climbspeed was selected extremely low (e.g. not more as 200 ft/min) it was stable.

8 hours ago, Sterzenbach said:

Yes, all correctly set. During session flightlevel change was made, but that should not the reason fore the erratic unstable vertical speed. Further information: When vertical climbspeed was selected extremely low (e.g. not more as 200 ft/min) it was stable.

 

8 hours ago, Sterzenbach said:

Had you done anything at all with the autopilot, including any pre-selections, even when on the ground before flight? 

Guess I should have asked If you had done anything at all with the autopilot "while" on the ground before flight.  Not "even while" on the ground.   I believe erratic behavior I have experienced in the 172 and DA62 occurred in instances where I preselected in the AP while on the ground, before taking off.  I have not had erratic behavior while using the AP only after takeoff. 

That said, other erratic behavior I have had in flight was prior to learning about the use of the pause key.  I no longer use the pause key.  I have assigned keys to the separate Pause On and Pause Off functions, or I use the Esc key.

Frank Patton
Corsair 5000D Airflow Case; MSI B650 Tomahawk MOB; Ryzen 7 7800 X3D CPU; ASUS RTX 4080 Super; 
NZXT 360mm liquid cooler; Corsair Vengeance 64GB DDR5 4800 MHz RAM; RMX850X Gold PSU;; ASUS VG289 4K 27" Display; Honeycomb Alpha & Bravo, Crosswind 3's w/dampener.  
Former USAF meteorologist & ground weather school instructor. AOPA Member #07379126
                       
"I will never put my name on a product that does not have in it the best that is in me." - John Deere

  • Author
25 minutes ago, fppilot said:

 

Guess I should have asked If you had done anything at all with the autopilot "while" on the ground before flight.  Not "even while" on the ground.   I believe erratic behavior I have experienced in the 172 and DA62 occurred in instances where I preselected in the AP while on the ground, before taking off.  I have not had erratic behavior while using the AP only after takeoff. 

That said, other erratic behavior I have had in flight was prior to learning about the use of the pause key.  I no longer use the pause key.  I have assigned keys to the separate Pause On and Pause Off functions, or I use the Esc key.

Meanwhile I am sure it is a bug. I tried with success change elevator_effectiveness = 1 to elevator_effectiveness = 0.1 at

c:\Users\????\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Official\OneStore\asobo-aircraft-generic-piston-singleengine\SimObjects\Airplanes\Asobo_Generic_Piston_SingleEngine\

 

13 minutes ago, Sterzenbach said:

Meanwhile I am sure it is a bug. I tried with success change elevator_effectiveness = 1 to elevator_effectiveness = 0.1 at

c:\Users\????\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Official\OneStore\asobo-aircraft-generic-piston-singleengine\SimObjects\Airplanes\Asobo_Generic_Piston_SingleEngine\

 

I tried that on the CJ4 and I couldn’t get the airplane to rotate....

FAA: ATP-ME, 737 CA, enough time in the 757/767 to be dangerous 🤠

Matt Kubanda, 7950X3D, 64GB RAM, RTX 5090@4k, MSFS 2024

 

 

 

Just tried a flight with Carenado 182. Altitude hold on the A/P was extremely frustrating. I thought I was flying a porpoise the way the VS kept going way up and then down. I assume Carenado is using the MSFS A/P which, from all the postings I see here, is not ready for prime time. Ready to go back to X-Plane until MS gets their act together. Its like buying a new car but the brakes still have not been fully developed. 😣 Just venting!

  • Author
22 hours ago, topcat_1952 said:

Just tried a flight with Carenado 182. Altitude hold on the A/P was extremely frustrating. I thought I was flying a porpoise the way the VS kept going way up and then down. I assume Carenado is using the MSFS A/P which, from all the postings I see here, is not ready for prime time. Ready to go back to X-Plane until MS gets their act together. Its like buying a new car but the brakes still have not been fully developed. 😣 Just venting!

The oscillating effect (jo jo of vertical speed) of the c172 is not away after last major update. Is there nobody in the internet who is able to adjust the flight mechanic better as the developers at Microsoft? I tried with no real success.

Bernie Sterzenbach

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