Firstly
1) yes I know what the trim buttons are, no I don't use any fancy gadgets or whatever, just the two default buttons
2) I have all patches and acceleration
3) my computer is a year old
4) This is a RANDOM event, ie it doesn't happen all the time.

Ok, the problem is, the pitch trim is currently doing what the hell it feels like, no matter WHAT I do. It's currently forcing me into a steep (90degree!) climb, and even when I keep my finger pressed on the trim down, it shoots back up again as soon as I let go.
I restarted the game, the flight, the computer, everything. Nothing has worked.

It's driving me completely insane.

Well obviously I have the alt AP off otherwise it wouldn't go completely vertical. I have speed and nav hold on.

Switch ALL the Autopilot buttons on the Radio OFF...

....then quickly re-trim the aircraft, and select your heading and altitude...

(Then...if you wish, switch the Autopilot back on again).

Its easy to forget the Radio settings!... ...!

Paul.... ...!

I'm not a real pilot at all just a good ol simpilot, any real pilots out there, correct me if I'm wrong.
But I'm pretty sure (from what I've learned) in real life a pilot doesn't activate the AP untill:

The aircraft is in a positive rate of climb, and trimmed for such. The aircraft is on the right heading, and all systems are confirimed working via  the checklist. Then the AP is engaged.

And like Fozzer said, make sure the AP is off before take-off, and that is for real! And your aircraft trim should be  set for take-off.
Now, I'm not sure if it's a sim thing or if it happens in real life, but if you activate the AP (as far as the sim knows), and even if you  don't activate the ALT setting, The AP will take over your aircraft and change your pitch attitude;
A vertical force applied at a distance forward or aft from the aerodynamic center of the aircraft, causing the aircraft to pitch up or down.

So not cutting you down (this site is a great learning place),
your taking off without setting your trim for take-off, and your activating the AP to early.

As aircraft got bigger and heavier (and flights got longer), the autopilot was invented to relive the physical stress on a pilot, by allowing the aircraft to maintain basic flight dynamics, pitch, roll, and yaw.

So that you, the aviator , can concentrate on navagating and maintaining the operation of the aircraft.

But remember this, You are the one that's flying the airplane at all times, not the autopilot.

And welcome to SimV!

Fozzer wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2011 at 4:21am:


Thank-you for the complement Paul, and what you say about setting the trim before take off with a Slight nose-up attitude is what I should have also said, so I'm glad you mentioned it. You know, people can knock FSX and MS all they want, but for such a sophisticated piece of software they got a lot of things right, so not to get off the subject. What they got right in this instance is that you have to manage the weight of the aircraft. Take the DC3, empty slight pitch up attitude set on the trim, and at V she'll jump right off. Load her up and give her a bit more pitch up on the trim, and she'll take off a bit more slowly at rotation and start to climb at a little less attitude.
Every plane is different and any good pilot (real or just a simmer) should know that setting that trim correctly before take off comes with experience and knowledge of the aircrft you are going to pilot. This flight simulator has a good learning center, but It's not like going to a real flight school were a real person can teach you the nuances of flight. And this is why I like it here at the V, you can learn alot here.

Fozzer wrote on Nov 3^rd, 2011 at 7:59am:


I'm so with you, Paul. I used to fly "heavy metal" in FSX, then I realized all I'm doing is staring at screens and turning knobs. When I started my (real-life) flight training a year ago I decided to get everything I could out of FSX to help me; I used it to learn VOR navigation, to fly by instruments, practice traffic patterns, etc. Solo'd at 15 hours and I'll have my license at 40.

To each his own, but it's funny watching people try and handle 747's who couldn't handle your 152 or my Cherokee 180 to save their lives. Just sayin'. 

Yeah turning off everything to do with autopilot worked, thanks. I lol'd at the image of some guy sitting in his basement at the computer and shouting "clear prop"....