Originally Posted by
TorqueOfTheDevil
Not if the threat is coming from behind you!
And all this talk of using the automatics to manoeuvre concerns me - as we have already seen recently, there are times when a positive manual manoeuvre can save the day when a gentle input by the kit doesn't.
Well, we started off with lookout - and there automatics can give you much more time for just that.
Straight and level i.e. with altitude restrictions, you just press ALT and donīt have to check as often, as while flying hands on, especially in bumpy conditions...
Same with speed, automatics give you the all the speed the bird is capable off without exceeding limits - and you just monitor with a glance and then look out again.
There you might see a conflicting target much earlier, so that a tweak of the heading bug might be sufficant - nobody says, you should avoid close calls by using the AP....
But play around in advance to know wether you have to disconnect - or an override will just work as well, bringing the bird back onto heading when releasing the stick....
Itīs all down to knowing your bird in and out so you can decide between the options available.