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Pilot Interface
The optional SkyView Autopilot integrates with SkyView HDX to provide you with automated control of your airplane in the pitch and roll axes. This means that you can command the autopilot to follow your pre-defined flightplan, fly direct-to a waypoint, VOR, or airport, and turn to and maintain the heading or track of your preference. The autopilot will also climb or descend to and maintain the altitude of your choice using either vertical speed or airspeed to control the climb and descent rate. The autopilot will fly any instrument precision approach or non-precision approach when your aircraft is equipped with a compatible third-party IFR navigation device.
Yaw control is also available for select aircraft in the form of a yaw damper. The SkyView Autopilot yaw damper will counter the effects of yaw instability by maintaining a centered slip/skid indicator. Minor yaw instability often reveals itself during turbulence. Some airplanes will generate lateral G oscillations (tail-wag) when turbulence is encountered. The result is an uncomfortable ride that can contribute to airsickness of sensitive passengers. Some airplanes generate opposing yaw when rolling into a turn, which requires the coordinated application of rudder to keep the slip/skid indicator centered. If your airplane has this adverse yaw tendency, the yaw damper will aid the autopilot during heading changes by applying the necessary rudder to maintain a coordinated turn. If your airplane experiences either of these two conditions, ride comfort and autopilot performance will be improved if you install the yaw damper with your autopilot.
AUTOPILOT MENU
The Pitch modes consist of ALT HOLD (altitude hold), VS (vertical speed) VNAV (vertical navigation, and IAS (indicated airspeed). ALT HOLD, VS, and IAS all have pilot selectable values associated. VS mode is expressed in the rate of feet per minute the pilot desires to climb or descend. IAS mode simply selects the current speed the airplane is traveling at, and maintains this speed while climbing or descending. The nose up and nose down button allows the pilot to increase or decrease the vertical control mode value, which could be vertical speed or the airplane's indicated airspeed, depending on the selected mode. VNAV mode either arms or engages the approach mode with vertical guidance that has been selected for the desired approach.
AP STATUS INDICATION
When the autopilot is engaged, one of the pilot’s tasks is to monitor the autopilot system. To monitor the system, the pilot needs to understand the autopilot's status at all times. To accomplish this, the SkyView display provides the autopilots status continuously via the AP Status bar located on the top left of the Primary Flight Display.
The autopilot status bar is divided into three zones, roll status to the left, autopilot engagement status in the center, and pitch status on the right. When the autopilot is engaged, the AP letters will be displayed in green. Because the roll and pitch modes can be engaged separately, green arrows will also appear to indicate the engaged mode- roll, pitch, or both, as shown below. White pitch or roll status represents armed modes. Armed modes are modes that will automatically engage when certain parameters are met.
In the roll status area, the roll mode selected by the pilot is displayed, along with the pilot selected value associated with that mode. In the depicted case above, the pilot has selected heading (HDG) mode, which means the autopilot will steer the airplane by turning to and maintaining the heading selected by the pilot, in this case 185 degrees magnetic. The roll status may include an armed mode that the autopilot will transition to automatically when a selected target has been reached. In this case, no modes are armed.
The pitch status appears on the right hand side of the autopilot status bar. This area displays the selected pitch mode and the pilot selected value. In this case, vertical speed has been selected as the pitch mode, and 500 feet per minute has been selected as the value. The pitch status may include the armed mode that the autopilot will transition to automatically when a selected target has been reached. In the example, the armed pitch mode is ALT (altitude hold).
YAW DAMPER CONTROL
The Yaw Damper, if installed, may be engaged independently from the autopilot and can be engaged when the autopilot is not. The Yaw Damper on/off control resides on the autopilot control menu, or the optional Yaw Damper toggle button may be installed.
To independently engage the Yaw Damper, select the YD button on the autopilot control menu. The YD button light will turn green when engaged, and the Slip/Skid Indicator will appear green, with the letters YD in black. To disengage the Yaw Damper, toggle the YD button on the autopilot control menu to off. The green YD button light will extinguish.
Yaw Damper status is also provided on the PFD. The Slip/Skid Indicator (Ball) will change its appearance when the Yaw Damper is engaged from white to green, with the letters YD, as shown in the figure below.
Because the Yaw Damper provides active control of the rudder, it should be deactivated when manual flight maneuvering is required, such as when entering an airport traffic pattern. However, if forgotten, applying pressure on a rudder pedal when the Yaw Damper is engaged will just override the Yaw Damper and cause the Yaw Damper servo to slip, just as the autopilot servos do.
AUTOPILOT FLIGHT DIRECTOR
Autopilot control mode guidance can be used to fly manually by following the targets calculated by the autopilot without engaging the servos. The targets are provided visually on the PFD by the Flight Director. The autopilot enforced limits on Airspeed and G are honored by the Flight Director. For example, if a descent rate is selected that reaches the maximum autopilot operation speed the flight director will indicate a pitch up to reduce speed and limit descent rate.
To fly manually with the flight director on, configure the autopilot control menu as described above, but instead of pushing the AP button, push the FD button instead. The flight director will immediately begin to move in the configured manner, and you will need to maneuver the airplane to match the flight director queues displayed on the PFD.
SkyView provides two selectable flight director styles to choose from.
INSTRUMENT PANEL-MOUNTED CONTROLS
While the SkyView display’s autopilot control menu, along with the display’s knobs can be used to operate the autopilot, an assortment of optional instrument panel-mounted controls are also available that provide direct-button access to the autopilot modes and functions.
Autopilot Control Panel
Autopilot Disconnect Button
Autopilot Level Button
Pressing the Level button (or Straight and Level Mode) will immediately command the autopilot to pitch the airplane to zero vertical speed and roll it to zero degrees of bank. It will not attempt to fly the airplane to any previous altitude, heading or track, and it will not respect any bug inputs. It will maintain the level pitch and bank attitudes, on the heading and altitude at which it recovered to. When activated, Level Mode will engage the Autopilot if it was not already engaged.
Note that the autopilot control panel includes a level button. Locating this button in the co-pilot position however, adds an additional level of safety. While the primary purpose of this safety feature is to aid the pilot’s recovery from an unusual attitude should the pilot lose the visual horizon and become confused. The Level button may also be used by the person seated in the right seat to quickly engage the autopilot should the pilot be incapacitated.
