Quality of ride: Autopilot versus hand-flying
 

Is there a detectable difference in the quality of ride depending on if or not the Autopilot is engaged?

Would even a professional pilot flying in the cabin notice? Are there any other cues based on turns, landings, takeoffs etc?

can't talk for the big boys, but I know in what I fly, in smooth to slightly bumpy weather the AP is a fair bit smoother an balanced, but once the bumpy stuff really kicks in it can actually make the ride worse as it constantly tries to correct the sudden changes therefore adding the the roughness of the flight. I usually hand fly in rougher conditions (if the work load isn't too high) as sometimes not actually reacting the the turbulance can make it smoother

I'm cabin crew and a few years ago my outfit had B737 300/500/400's and every now and again a pilot would hand fly the whole sector and yes you could feel it. The aircraft just rose and sank very gently and felt 'different'. Of course you might say that as we were informed beforehand we would be pre-programed and so our believed sensation could be a placebo. However on two occasions that I can remember I went in to ask them if they were hand flying because it felt like it. And on both occasions they were.

I've hand-flown around 10 sectors due to either Yaw Damper INOP or Autopilot INOP. There is a difference.

Apart from being pretty shagged at the end of the day, the best way to describe it is that at the end of the day your body "remembers" the slight left-right-left-right rocking motion.

IMHO, frequent flyers may notice, as well as Cabin crew.

6chimes...bet on two occasions you were popular!! :yuk:

EW73
 

You serious?

Mate, if a CC came onto the flight deck and asked "Are you hand-flying because it feels that way?" the answer would be either "Yes" or "No", with the appropriate explanation. No way would I feel offended :cool:

I didn't realize those were on the MEL too. Yaw damper seemed like a big thing.

G'day Ross_M,

I fly a Dash8-300 so without an A/P or a Yaw Damper it's not too bad. Yes, it's allowable on our MEL.

Not sure about the Q400. In row 19 it's bad enough even when everything is working :eek:

I have noticed it quite bumpy during turbulance in the cruise due to the autopilot always trying to correct itself. Landings, I have noticed during bad weather it is smoother when the AP is disengaged rather than an ILS landing in that type of conditions.

LOL!
 

Erm...that's what turbulence does...

Unless you're doing an autoland the AP will be disengaged for landings. Most times, the AP is disengaged.