Here are some tips that might help frustrated simmers, trying to get their heads around this unintuitive, menu-deep autopilot!

KEY COMMAND / HARDWARE USERS ONLY :-

Firstly, if you use key commands, most of the default MSFS AP commands do work, but they won't work in every mode, screen or menu of the Sorcerer.

For example, these key commands work (but again, not in every mode!):-

AP ON

AP OFF

HEADING BUG INC / DEC

AP VERTICAL SPEED REF INC / DEC

NAV (only in some modes!)

HEADING (only in some modes!)

As far as I can see so far, the default ALTITUDE INC and DEC do not work, and neither does FLIGHT LEVEL CHANGE. The AP does have IAS mode, but it has no directly selectable mode button.

There are some essential custom key commands that A2A have added to the sim, that must be assigned if you're using keys or hardware :-

A2A SEL BUTTON - this is used a lot when making changes to preselected altitude, etc.

A2A KNOB LEFT / RIGHT - essential. Used to select altitude, track, baro and more!

A2A KNOB PRESS - essential. You need to press the knob to confirm any changes made.

I'm a hardcore key command user and hate mouse clicks for APs in the sim! But....... in this case, things are probably simpler if you just press the buttons on the unit with your mouse.

GENERAL TIPS (FOR MOUSE OR KEY COMMAND USERS:

• To turn the AP on in the air, press the 'AP' button. It will default to current Track and Vertical Speed.

• To get the AP to follow your GPS flightplan, press the 'GPSS' button, not 'Nav'.

• Unless you use the optional HSI or G5s, there is no heading mode! The Sorcerer has no AHRS and uses GPS to determine Track. Press TRK instead and you get selected track. To 'steer' the plane, use the knob to adjust your track.

• With the HSI or G5 selected, when you press 'TRK' you'll see "External DG" on the unit, and will get Heading select (yay!), adjustable via the knob.

• To enter APPROACH mode (ILS of GPS), the unit selects this automatically. When in range, "GS ARM" will show on the screen and the unit will activate GS/GP, as long as you're in NAV or GPSS lateral modes. There's no 'approach' button.

• To preselect an altitude on the ground, press the 'SEL' button. The first time you press this, it'll ask you confirm the baro. After that, it will go straight into altitude select mode, and you use the knob to select your altitude. Don't forget to press the centre of the knob to confirm your preselected altitude!

• Turning the knob adjusts values in coarse units (eg, 500ft for Altitude). To get smaller units, press the centre of the knob and scroll.

• When you turn on the AP, it will default to TRK and VS modes. To get it to follow your GPS flight plan, press GPSS.

• The rocker switch sets vertical speed in VS mode, and speed in IAS mode - as long as you're in the right mode! (press 'SEL').

• For PMS GTN users, if you set up VNAV, you need to press the 'GPSV' key to activate it, not the 'VNAV' button, which is a simple calculated VNAV mode.

• LAST TIP: If in doubt, press 'SEL' ! The 'SEL' button is used for entering lots of different data, so if you want to set something (alt, VS, IAS, etc) and can't get it on the screen, 'SEL' is your friend.

• When using the G5s, their own pre-selected altitude doesn't speak to the AP or do anything! Altitude needs to be set on the AP. The only elements of the G5s that 'talk' to the AP are the heading bug and baro.

If you want the most straightforward flight, in terms of this AP, configure your Legacy to use the G5s and a GTN or GNS GPS. You'll have heading bug control.

For a real challenge, do what I did on my first flight; configure your Legacy to use the standard directional gyro (which doesn't even have a heading bug!) and a GNS430 or KLN. In this configuration, the AP doesn't talk to any of the instruments, apart from the GPS, and you can only see your selected Track on the AP's screen. It's quite the challenge when we're spoiled by Garmin autopilots interfaced to G3Xs, etc.

I haven't tried the "NO GPS" configuration yet. I've no idea how that will work as the Sorcerer requires a GPS input for Track information. I would hazard a guess that with no GPS, the Sorcerer will only provide bank angle control and NAV (VOR or ILS).

Happy autopiloting!

Edited October 27Oct 27 by JYW

Hmmm on the a2a discord I was thinking TRK is actually HDG - does this thing's TRK mode actually correct for wind? That would be annoying irl because we ATC issue a heading, and we correct for the wind. We don't want pilots correcting for the wind. Cause yeah if I have the G5 (on this plane I mean) I have to 2nd press TRK so it goes external DG then uses the HDG bug from the G5.

I guess I should check with a 20 knot crosswind to see if the G5's HDG bug is the same as the TRK. ]

Now I'm really curious

1 hour ago, JYW said:

Here are some tips that might help frustrated simmers, trying to get their heads around this unintuitive, menu-deep autopilot!

KEY COMMAND / HARDWARE USERS ONLY :-

Firstly, if you use key commands, most of the default MSFS AP commands do work, but they won't work in every mode, screen or menu of the Sorcerer.

For example, these key commands work (but again, not in every mode!):-

AP ON

AP OFF

HEADING BUG INC / DEC

AP VERTICAL SPEED REF INC / DEC

NAV (only in some modes!)

HEADING (only in some modes!)

As far as I can see so far, the default ALTITUDE INC and DEC do not work, and neither does FLIGHT LEVEL CHANGE. The AP does have IAS mode, but it has no directly selectable mode button.

There are some essential custom key commands that A2A have added to the sim, that must be assigned if you're using keys or hardware :-

A2A SEL BUTTON - this is used a lot when making changes to preselected altitude, etc.

A2A KNOB LEFT / RIGHT - essential. Used to select altitude, track, baro and more!

A2A KNOB PRESS - essential. You need to press the knob to confirm any changes made.

I'm a hardcore key command user and hate mouse clicks for APs in the sim! But....... in this case, things are probably simpler if you just press the buttons on the unit with your mouse.

GENERAL TIPS (FOR MOUSE OR KEY COMMAND USERS:

• To turn the AP on in the air, press the 'AP' button. It will default to current Track and Vertical Speed.

• To get the AP to follow your GPS flightplan, press the 'GPSS' button, not 'Nav'.

• Unless you use the optional HSI or G5s, there is no heading mode! The Sorcerer has no AHRS and uses GPS to determine Track. Press TRK instead and you get selected track. To 'steer' the plane, use the knob to adjust your track.

• With the HSI or G5 selected, when you press 'TRK' you'll see "External DG" on the unit, and will get Heading select (yay!), adjustable via the knob.

• To enter APPROACH mode (ILS of GPS), the unit selects this automatically. When in range, "GS ARM" will show on the screen and the unit will activate GS/GP, as long as you're in NAV or GPSS lateral modes. There's no 'approach' button.

• To preselect an altitude on the ground, press the 'SEL' button. The first time you press this, it'll ask you confirm the baro. After that, it will go straight into altitude select mode, and you use the knob to select your altitude. Don't forget to press the centre of the knob to confirm your preselected altitude!

• Turning the knob adjusts values in coarse units (eg, 500ft for Altitude). To get smaller units, press the centre of the knob and scroll.

• When you turn on the AP, it will default to TRK and VS modes. To get it to follow your GPS flight plan, press GPSS.

• The rocker switch sets vertical speed in VS mode, and speed in IAS mode - as long as you're in the right mode! (press 'SEL').

• For PMS GTN users, if you set up VNAV, you need to press the 'GPSV' key to activate it, not the 'VNAV' button, which is a simple calculated VNAV mode.

• LAST TIP: If in doubt, press 'SEL' ! The 'SEL' button is used for entering lots of different data, so if you want to set something (alt, VS, IAS, etc) and can't get it on the screen, 'SEL' is your friend.

• When using the G5s, their own pre-selected altitude doesn't speak to the AP or do anything! Altitude needs to be set on the AP. The only elements of the G5s that 'talk' to the AP are the heading bug and baro.

If you want the most straightforward flight, in terms of this AP, configure your Legacy to use the G5s and a GTN or GNS GPS. You'll have heading bug control.

For a real challenge, do what I did on my first flight; configure your Legacy to use the standard directional gyro (which doesn't even have a heading bug!) and a GNS430 or KLN. In this configuration, the AP doesn't talk to any of the instruments, apart from the GPS, and you can only see your selected Track on the AP's screen. It's quite the challenge when we're spoiled by Garmin autopilots interfaced to G3Xs, etc.

I haven't tried the "NO GPS" configuration yet. I've no idea how that will work as the Sorcerer requires a GPS input for Track information. I would hazard a guess that with no GPS, the Sorcerer will only provide bank angle control and NAV (VOR or ILS).

Happy autopiloting!

Thank you! Very valuable!

From the other thread, how did you tune your curves for the controls? VERY SENSITIVE is an understatement.

54 minutes ago, mmcmah said:

Thank you! Very valuable!

From the other thread, how did you tune your curves for the controls? VERY SENSITIVE is an understatement.

Yes, it's severely sensitive! I notice it mostly on short final approach; it's really difficult to remain lined up with the runway (even with no wind) as a horse hair's move of the ailerons results in oscillating banking. Very tricky!

I went into my control settings and set the sensitivity of the ailerons to -70. I've never pulled any other plane's sensitivity down that far, but I feel it needed it!

Edited October 28Oct 28 by JYW

1 hour ago, ryanbatc said:

does this thing's TRK mode actually correct for wind?

Yes, that's right.

It's using GPS track information. So rather than holding a given heading, it adjusts for wind and maintains that GPS track.

With an HSI or G5 installed, TRK mode can be set to "External DG" and it will follow the heading bug though.

But self-contained it has no AHRS.

16 minutes ago, JYW said:

Yes, that's right.

It's using GPS track information. So rather than holding a given heading, it adjusts for wind and maintains that GPS track.

With an HSI or G5 installed, TRK mode can be set to "External DG" and it will follow the heading bug though.

But self-contained it has no AHRS.

Oh ok I guess my rant wasn't warranted. That's so odd honestly. Then again if you're flying a plane with just a DG and basic stuff you probably won't be flying IFR very often.

Thanks for the write-up @JYW I'm working on a tutorial video for the autopilot, but that's still a few days away.

10 hours ago, JYW said:

I haven't tried the "NO GPS" configuration yet. I've no idea how that will work as the Sorcerer requires a GPS input for Track information. I would hazard a guess that with no GPS, the Sorcerer will only provide bank angle control and NAV (VOR or ILS).

Without GPS it will have a backup ROLL mode and EXT DG mode will work too. NAV mode will not work because it requires GPS ground track to better follow navaid radials. Interestingly, Garmin GFC 500 autopilots have the same limitation in real life. No GPS, no VOR/ILS tracking.

8 hours ago, ryanbatc said:

That's so odd honestly. Then again if you're flying a plane with just a DG and basic stuff you probably won't be flying IFR very often.

It's typical for "GPS first" GA autopilots like Trutrak/Aerocruze or Trio. TRK mode is the default, HDG mode is optional, or not present at all.

8 hours ago, ryanbatc said:

Oh ok I guess my rant wasn't warranted. That's so odd honestly. Then again if you're flying a plane with just a DG and basic stuff you probably won't be flying IFR very often.

I think the TruTrak autopilots probably are designed mainly with VFR in mind.

The much more common TruTrak Vizion (now branded the Bendix/King Aerocruise) works in the same way.

Here's an overview, by SoCal Flying Monkey, in his Saratoga :-

Edited October 28Oct 28 by JYW

I found this manual, I think it's the right one...

Pdf Download | TruTrak Sorcerer User Manual (20 pages)

@ryanbatc - this explains the 'GPS Track' approach of the AP, from the real manual :-

16 hours ago, JYW said:

Yes, it's severely sensitive! I notice it mostly on short final approach; it's really difficult to remain lined up with the runway (even with no wind) as a horse hair's move of the ailerons results in oscillating banking. Very tricky!

I went into my control settings and set the sensitivity of the ailerons to -70. I've never pulled any other plane's sensitivity down that far, but I feel it needed it!

Thanks, -70 ailerons and -20 elevator helps a lot.

Mike

Why the Legacy RG550 Autopilot Doesn’t Work Like a Garmin | MSFS 2024