I am confused yet again....Technology leaves me behind!

[SASless]

As I sat in the cockpit of a very nicely equipped helicopter the other day.....seeing things I had always heard of but never saw. ("Who is going to pay for them, ol' chap.....") I realized I was being overtaken by technology and the technical writers.

When does the Flight Director become an autopilot? Is a FD an AP? If you have to tell the AP what to do.....is it an "Autopilot"? If you must tell the FD what to do....is it a "Flight Director"? If the panel says "Helipilot"....does that mean it is neither a FD or an AP? If the FD is uncoupled but providing cues by means of the "Command Bars"....who is in command? If in the un-coupled mode....and hand flying....using the FD Cues....and the Autopilot is switched on but selected off by use of the Force Trim release....is the AP on, off, in standby, or what? If we then throw in a Flight Management System (FMS) that does all this and more....does everything but brew the coffee....how does that figure in to this? If it is a "Management" thing....must we say "Sir or Maam" to it when it issues a command, or demands an input? Is it wise to punch its buttons without worrying about usurping its authority and thus finding ourselves in the penalty box?

Whats a fella to do?

[NickLappos]

Sasless,

To avoid all this confusion, I suggest that you only fly helicopters that are sasless....

[SASless]

Nick old buddy....how do you think I came up with this sobriquet?

[NickLappos]

Yea, but I wonder how you came up with the name :)

[ShyTorque]

Hey, don't ask me. I got left behind at the digital watch stage... ;)

[The Nr Fairy]

So if the FD and the AP are the same thing, the FMS controlls the AP, and the FT controls something else, how many bars should it wear on its shoulders ?

[212man]

The hard part is knowing what to feed the dog, and how often. They're not much good at conversation either (well not when it comes to pay and conditions, pensions, management, fixed wing pilots and all the other good cockpit conversation topics we tend to fixate to).

Having said that, give me all singing all dancing any day vs steam driven clockwork.

PS. SASless, I believe you're being modest; surely not!!!!!!

[heedm]

Oh come on, Sasless. Don't go blaming the new guys on confusing things by adding computers and acronyms. It was already confusing with ccw or cw rotors, PIC on the right, T5 or ITT or PTIT, tractor or pusher, and of course the ultimate rotary confusion....increasing power to land.

[Thomas coupling]

CDP, LDP, TDP, clear area, heliport, helipad, restricted heliport, group A restricted, HOGE, HIGE, WAT, TODA, TORA, VTOL, max continuous, max contingency, 2.5 minute power, HSI, ADI, DI, TOT T4, EGT.
Then I go home in my GTI, GSI, V.V.I,

Who says pilots aren't multilingual?:confused:

[SASless]

212man.....I am always modest....usually I have something to be modest about. The trick is in knowing when to be modest and when one has something to be modest about. I know for some that is an impossible thing to ask but yes sir....I am definitely modest....at least in my own mind I am being so. Modesty is a virtue I am told. I would think that we would all then strive to be modest. Thus it might be said therefore....I am both modest and virtuous, simultaneously.

This being Sunday afternoon in Warri....yer noggin still hurting from the weekly visit to Bush Bar?