Originally Posted by
Torquetalk
The safest thing to do if committing to the climb in that type is to press the GA button and then figure out the next few steps (in this case recognizing that he needed ATCs help). If selecting one mode in a S76B, I’d made it IAS then add power. Pressing HDG and adding power will give an initial climb, but the PBA will quietly convert that to airspeed while you are not looking. Best fly 3 cue IMC and at night if you want to avoid nasty surprises.
I have the pilot's manual for the SPZ-7000 and I see this "The go-around mode may be engaged by pressing the button on the mode selector or by depressing the go-around switch on the collective. When engaged, this mode will cancel all other modes that are engaged. Upon engagement the collective will be commanded to obtain 75 knots or more while the roll axis will return the aircraft to a level roll attitude and will maintain the current aircraft magnetic heading. The pitch axis will be commanded to a positive rate-of-climb of 750 fpm " Does pressing the GA button activate the autopilot if the autopilot is currently off, or would the autopilot also have to be turned on to actually command the aircraft?