individual. Some pilots may handfly the aircraft to 10.000ft and then engage it. While some pilots like to engage if just after clean-up at around 2000-3000ft etc.

But keep in mind that no one flies the aircraft as cost efficient as the AP, and airlines encourage their crews to take advantage of automatic flight.

Well, Nexus has already said it, but to calrify, yes, it would be acceptbale.

There's a full AP in the 172s that I fly but it's never even been mentioned...

Two of our Cessnas have auto-pilots. The 172 has a legit heading hold.. It chases the heading bug and holds it pretty darn well. It's also "supposed" to track a VOR radial, but I'm not sold     It will hold a GPS course right on , though.

The 177RG (I'm taking to Nashville Saturday) has a two-axis auto-pilot. It and the GPS (430) are brand new and function flawlessly. Same heading hold functions as the 172 plus an altitude hold. You can't dial in altitude and vertical speed like the sim (wouldn't that be sweet) but once engaged.. it will "elevator trim" that current altitude. I think it chases the VSI.

I like and have used both, quite a bit. I won't need to on this trip... If I'm not flying the plane, my passenger would be hurt if I didn't let him hold heading and altitude (aspiring pilot).

edit:  Oh yeah.. the original question    Yes..If it it's an hour or more flight.. as soon as I'm trimmed at altitude I'll let the plane take as much work off my hands as it can..

Just to clarify (again ) bb, to the vast majority of pilots using the AP consistently (or at all) on a 172 (or like GA aircraft) would be completely unacceptable.  Almost all pilots completely handfly smaller aircraft.

Quote:

Please note I said "the vast majority."  I do not know of a single pilot who would applaud (or even condone for that matter) the use of the AP in, say, a 172.  Not even for IFR.  I'm not really sure the point is arguable, but if your experience is different, please share. (I personally find it more fulfilling than a snide comment)

My word choice as poor, yes.  Don't try to pass off your comment as anything but rude however, Brett.

Every GA pilot I've talked to-and there's plenty of them-hand flies their aircraft, every time, all the time.  What I meant to say was the majority of GA pilots hand fly their aircraft almost all the time.  Whereas in larger planes use of the AP is essential and a major part of the curriculum, use of the AP is often ignored in, say, a Private Pilot course as most instructors want their students to be able to hand fly always. The AP is usually taught, at best, as a little bonus.

It always annoys me when I **** up and give people the wrong impression-I preach putting yourself in your place, and not pretending to have more knowledge than one actually does.  Again, my word choice was poor.  Could we agree on the above?