Instructions on how to use Auto Pilot

Could Microsoft come out with instructions on how to properly setup auto pilot for navigation and ILS approaches for non pilots?

The question for you is “with which aircraft”? Each aircraft has its own procedures and systems, even though the underlying process is fundamentally the same. When I first started playing this sim, I chose the TBM-930 for no other reason than it looked like a fun, powerful turboprop. I became somewhat proficient in flying it and using the autopilot and systems through some prior experience with playing flight simulators, but mostly from YouTube videos.

There were quite a number of new members complaining about the TBM’s autopilot not doing what they expected, especially when they were climbing out from takeoff, and when reacting to ATC instructions. As a first attempt at helping out the community, I created a “test script” that you can use to understand how to set up basic autopilot settings and execute them to understand the basics. You can find it here.

There are some excellent videos on YouTube that you can follow along with. If you come to the TBM, there’s a lot of members who I’ve interacted with here that have many hours with the aircraft and we’d be happy to help you understand. I’m sure you can search around and get some help within the airliner threads, too, as well as lots of folks who fly the smaller aircraft.

Let us know where you want to start and we’ll point you in the right direction. In the meantime, do a bit of reading on the basics so that when members use specific terminology you can follow along. I found this link that can get you started.

Given the amount of work going on stabilizing the game, I would say you’re better off looking to the community and YouTube to help you understand what you want.

You mean how to use MS bug autopilot system which was different from the real one. I think it’s a good idea.:rofl:

What is it you find buggy? Because so far, at least in my experience, if you’re using it right it works just fine. I have been flying only piston singles for the most part, not sure if that makes a difference or not.

To be honest I don’t think that Microsoft/Asobo should do. It’s roughly part of the aircraft’s manual as well as basic aviation training and knowledge.

If you are interested, there are tons of excellent resources on the internet to learn from.

For starters, you could go check out the various pilots on YouTube explaining all that stuff for non-professionals:

  • Captain Joe
  • Dutch Pilot Girl
  • Mentour Pilot

and so on.

There are also channels that specialized in live ATC radio recordings if you’re interested in how to talk on the radio properly and what’s going on behind the scenes:

  • VASaviation
  • H89SA

Finally, there are tons of additional sources you can check out for all kinds of aviation information:

…and so on and so on.

These are things that have been around for at least a decade now - the flightsim community is well developed. I believe Microsoft/Asobo are well aware of that. There is no real motivation for them to re-invent the wheel.

If you need more help about how to find specific info don’t hesitate asking. I think the f/s community will be glad to help.

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Any of the aircraft that have auto pilot. Looking for some basic steps, nothing I’ve tried worked very well and well aware of the bugs.

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Even though all these things work is basically the same on any aircraft there are differences of how you make use of them, some even being significant.

For starters, if you want to fly an ILS approach it’s really useful to learn how ILS works, like in the video below (the follow-up video shows how to actually fly an ILS approach). I hope it helps.

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You’ve got two hopes of that happening mate and one of them’s called “Bob”

You will find everything you need from P Gatcomb’s Youtube channel (all the quirks and features too :stuck_out_tongue:)

Edit: And with a little bit of learning, Little Navmap will provide you everything the sim does not (in some planes).

YouTube has been a huge help to me being able to use the autopilot in the default A320 since this version of the sim was released.

This also translates very well to the add on Airbus fleet I have from LVFR since they use some default systems.

I am in no way even close to a real pilot, but I do have extensive MSFS experience.