Originally Posted by
tartare
Years ago I flew on a USCG Dauphin down on the ice.
The pilot told me it was fitted with a system called JAWS, or something like that.
I think I remember him saying it could fly the helicopter in a pre-determined search pattern then bring it to auto-hold in a hover.
Is there no autopilot system that can hover a machine hands off in IMC?
All up to the price you're willing to pay.
Nice new machines like the Airbus BK117D2 (H145T2) can have Autohover. Its called. GTC H - ground tractory hover
Depending on your speed and point choosen to hover above it takes its time but will eventuely hover.
But you will have to understand the system fully, without having an altitude in the AP upper modis first, the bird just holds the position- not the height....
But the bird has the "Maria help" button. Twice pushed up, The AP will be activated with present heading, altitude and speed - if below Vy I think it will accelerate to Vy.
So by using "Maria help" and GTC H after that, the bird will come to a stabile hover.
Thereafter you can reduce your altidude by feet by feet until your down.
Luckily we have also terrain and obsticle warning- cause with all the monitors in front and in the center console, where you have menues for everything, the Computer reminds you to look out again approaching ground or towers etc. when you forgot that programming the machine...
Cool for IFR, does all the Holding calculations for you, always intercepts at the right angle and so on.
But that's more mission management- not flying like in the old days.
The systems are cool for what they are designed for, but for pipeline/powerlinecontrol, sightseeing flights, spraying, lifting jobs and so on you don't need it.