Piper Cheyene PA-31T

[Stanner 1]

In reference to Piper PA-31T Cheyenne v 1.40 for FS 9.

1. The Nav/GPS button does not light up and cannot be activated. I only see a VOR/ILS Green button. How can I activate Nav/GPS?

2. With the autopilot on, I select HDG, but plane will not fly the Hdg set on the Heading bug.

3. I load a flight plan, click on Nav in the Autopilot panel, but plane will not fly the plan. I am unable to activate the GPS button (see #1 above).

Thanks for the help.

Staner

[Stanner 1]

I figured out the autopilot and holding a heading. But how does one activate the autopilot to fly the flight plan (GPS)?

Thanks

Stanner

[kurocl 12]

I figured out the autopilot and holding a heading. But how does one activate the autopilot to fly the flight plan (GPS)?

Thanks

Stanner

Hi Stanner

If you want to activate the flight plan in the GPS, you have to click the AUX button in the GPS. It will appear a message (LOAD FS FLIGHT PLAN, or some thing like that) and click enter in the GPS.

If your problem is that the green light(VOR/ILS) is allways on and you can not put it in (GPS) blue. I think it is because you have a valid ILS frecuency activated. Try not to activate the ILS frecuency and try if you can change the VOR/ILS to GPS.

I hope it helps you

Best regards

[Snave 466]

It's a complex product - perhaps reading the manual might be a better bet than simply `hit and hope`..?

[Stanner 1]

I have read the manual, and I am not doing hit and miss. I have even scanned this forum to see if others had the same problem.

I do know how to import a flight plan. The problem is with the GPS/Nav button not being operative. I have shut off the Nav1 and Nav2 radios,

but that did not help. This time I will retune the radios to a non active frequency.

Sir, if you know the answer to my problem would it not be less time consuming to simply tell me. If you are taking the time to castigate me

for alledgedly not reading the manual, you might as well have provided me with the solution.

Thank you all.

Stanner

[Stanner 1]

Gentlemen,

I am still not able to get the Piper to fly a flight plan. I created and loaded a flight plan by using the AUX, and ENT, in the Trimble Appoach Plus. Per the 2008 instruction manual, page 78 "...The flight plan is now ready for use. To make the aircraft follow the route, y ou have to set the VOR/GPS switch to GPS and activate ne NAV mode on the autopilot."

I folowed these instructions, but the VOR/GPS switch (blue) does not light up. The instructions states that "...if the VOR/GPS switch doesn't change to GPS, it likely that an ILS frequency is selected on the NAV 1 radio...to solve this problem, just tune a non-ILS frequency like 108.20 on the NAV 1 radio."

I have made certain that Idid not have a valid ILS frequency in the NAV 1 radio. In fact I shut OFF both NAV 1 and NAV 2 radios. I still cannot activate the VOR/GPS button, and as such cannot get the Autopilot to follow the flight plan.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I have Piper PA-31T Cheyenne for FS( V3.40 running on Windows XP.

Thank you.

Stanner

PS In reviewing past postings over the years it seems this aircraft sim has had it share of bugs.

[Stanner 1]

Ok, entering 108.20 frequency in NAV 1 radio allowed the Blue GPS light to come on.

Frankly, this sim is best suited to VFR flying. Even on final ILS for landing the autopilot did not function well.

Plane best suited for short flights VOR to VOR and VFR landings.

Stanner

PS Would not recommend this sim for anyone looking to fly flight plans of over one hour.

[Snave 466]

Ok, entering 108.20 frequency in NAV 1 radio allowed the Blue GPS light to come on.

Frankly, this sim is best suited to VFR flying. Even on final ILS for landing the autopilot did not function well.

Plane best suited for short flights VOR to VOR and VFR landings.

Stanner

PS Would not recommend this sim for anyone looking to fly flight plans of over one hour.

Disagree. The A/P more closely represents the inaccuracies and inconsistencies one finds in the real world unit. These are older units which are not entirely suited for flying the ILS automatically. You are imbuing the systems with qualities they do not possess, then condemning them for it. I suppose the default 737 is poor because it can't loop..?

The Cheyenne follows the flight plan accurately on flights of more than two and a half hours. Mostly, the problems come from failing to trim the aircraft correctly before engaging the a/p, a bog-basic error which is attributable entirely to poor modelling by the MSFS team and poor pilotage. This exacerbates the out-of-trim forces as fuel burns, so that ILS landings become problematic.

What I would suggest is spending more time in the sim before offering comment. The Cheyenne is one of those models that rewards the learning curve better than most, but it does take skill and experience to get the best out of it.

[VulcanB2 5]

I second Simons comments on the accuracy (or not) of the autopilot.

FS aircraft are generally too accurate when it comes to autopilot function. Real-world autopilots do *NOT* hold a course, altitude or speed with an iron fist. They do however hold the above within specified limits, which are broader than you might imagine (+/- 5 to 7 kts for speed, +/- 50 ft for altitude, +/- 1 to 3 degrees in heading, depending on the system).

If the Cheyenne is failing to hold the glide or the localizer, you simply aren't flying it correctly. I haven't flown a real Cheyenne so can't comment on a like for like basis, but it would not surprise me if the behaviour of the Cheyenne in FS is correct - I know Digital Aviation (the creators of the Cheytenne) are at the high end when it comes to simulating real-world systems accurately.

Use smaller intercept angles for the localizer, and be sure to be in approach config with the gear down before intercepting the glide. You should be decelerating to approach speed before glide intercept. Config changes once on the glide are generally not acceptable. If you start dropping lots of flap then I do not expect the autopilot to maintain the glide, but going to landing flap from approach should be OK, even if it does baloon a bit; don't worry if the aircraft goes above the glide slightly - it is to be expected.

Keep your speed down.

"Don't let the aircraft fly where your mind hasn't been 5 minutes earlier". In other words, PLAN AHEAD.

Best regards,

Robin.