MSFS 2020 DA62 G1000 Auto Pilot for a DUMMY

[Puck641]

Hi All,

Can somebody provide me with a "DUMMYS" (I'm 73) guide to setting up and using the auto pilot in the DA62?

Everything I have see so-far is very complicated and switching between apps makes it worse.

I have finally started (flight) simming again after an absence of about 15 Years.

I am enjoying it all over again :)

I have MSFS 2020 and usually fly the Diamond DA62 or the Super Connie. My request relates to the DA62.

I find that the A.I. Pilot (Actual Idiot) is way off. It will begin descending a long way from the desired

destination, Buzz the airport and usually dig a trench in the ground so I have to be on it continually.

I use Little Navmap 3.0.11 to generate my flight plans and import them into MSFS. I would like it to include take off, cruise and approach settings.

Thanking You In Advance

Mark (MSFS LeapingLokie)

[Twelvefield]

The AI pilot needs some work on its code to shed its KILL ALL HUMANS neural loop programming. Leave it shut off.

Autopilot (AP) on the other hand is incredibly useful and well-modelled in MSFS. There are a lot of features, but a G1000 is a G1000 no matter which airframe you prefer. I will point you to Paul Gatcomb, who does wonderful tutorials, and who will step you through all of the G1000 features in his video. I suggest you make a flight plan that duplicates his so that you master each step. It's a nice flight, I've done it myself.

https://youtu.be/Nu3Fc1zeqjU?si=BqzgIP3g96U5WmEV

[Puck641]

Thanks Twelvefield
I spotted his work previously, but its a bit hard to follow on 1 screen
I will have to sit down with pen and paper and jot down points and recheck 'em

[Puck641]

Hi Twelvefield,
I checked out YouTube again and found I could copy the transcript of the Video.
That should make life easier :)

[Twelvefield]

I did the same thing. Mr. Gatcomb has a rapid-fire squirrel voice, but he goes through everything in detail. I abused the pause button. I flew the route he flew, and it all came together for me. Just take the flight leg by leg and break down the G1000 into sections: the layout for the menus and controls is logical.

[Puck641]

I'm old bugger (73) and I wish I had the actual video with subtitles (hearing aids don't) :)
This is what I came up with (subject to trial and error)

Correct me if I'm wrong PLEASE :)

1. Set altitude with Knob (ALT)
2. FLC ON Switch
3. FD
4. NAV ON
5. TAKE OFF
6. Auto Pilot ON
7. Gear up
8. ALTITUDE REACHED - FLC OFF Switch

[Twelvefield]

There's more than one way to use the AP. I'm more of a vertical speed guy, so I will use V/S rather than FLC. But as long as the AP is doing its thing, then it's not wrong.

There are a few other things you can do. I like to set the HDG to the runway heading, in your checklist I would do that after setting ALT. That makes a nice backup in case NAV goes wrong. I also set V/S at this point.

During cruise, I will also match HDG to NAV. This helps on descent, when you are confirming with the CDI (tuned to Nav 1 radio) that you have indeed tuned the correct ILS freq for landing. You will need that for APPR mode.

So, what happens is this. You want to land at Playboy Mansion RWY 069er. The ILS freq is 123.45. So, you tune that into Nav1 on your radio. The GPS should say in a tiny font 123.45, but maybe nearby Surly Baptist Compound* uses the same frequency. So, you switch the GPS CDI from GPS NAV, which is the purple line, to CDI 1, which is a green circle and an arrow that points to the ILS. Also, there is a GS (glide slope) ribbon to the right with white and green diamonds, showing you your altitude relative to the GS.

Switching the CDI will disrupt your course as your ride will try to find the localizer. If you switch to HDG mode before adjusting the CDI, then your aircraft will fly that heading. This allows you to play with the CDI and radio until you are convinced you have dialled in the correct runway. Then go back to NAV and fly that way. When you are on the glideslope, the greed diamond is just above the middle white diamond, and you are lined up, you can hit APPR. Then the AP will bring you in automagically on the glideslope. Do your GUMPS check (Gasoline, Undercarriage, Mixture, Prop, Seatbelt - some rides don't have all these features, but it's a good habit) then disengage the AP at 500 feet and do stick and rudder pilot things to a) let the computer know humans can fly and b) make sure you know that humans can fly. Then land!

I may have a bit of the terminology mixed up here and there, but Mr. Gatcomb will have it right. I kind of go by, press the red button now, follow the green arrow, etc. like the same way I get to the pizza pub I like the best. I know it's on Flint Street, but I drive past the pot shop that used to be a daycare and turn left after the church with the giant neon cross. That's how I remember things. I never remember addresses or names. (To get back home, I just keep driving around until I see my wife in the doorway brandishing a rolling pin. That's home, sir!)

*EDIT: Let's be fair here, full disclosure: while you can attempt to land at the Playboy Mansion, the fees will break you like dry spaghetti. The Surly Baptist Compound was named after Earl Surly Sr., a truly benevolent man, and has nothing to do with the attitude of the congregation. They welcome everyone, and landing fees are waived on service days. That's nice, right? You could land there and take a cab to Hef's place. Say Hi! to the bunnies for me!. (My wife won't let me go.)

[Puck641]

The Playboy Mansion is a bit to far away for me (I'm in Australia) but I may visit there when I Finish flying the Pacific (I like to use the Icon A5 to Island Hop) and ditch the wife at the shops :)
Like you I don't remember street names, the car knows it's way home, with the help of GPS.

You have highlighted some items that I was wondering about ... The ILS Landing. I have been scratching my head on this one.
Last night I found a YouTube Tute at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn6-gnXO9XQ Titled "Diamond DA62 - MSFS - Autopilot - ILS - Little Navmap" and I will watch it in the next few days. I use Little Navmap to plot my trips and it has a lot more information that I am not using.

ILS is not much of a change from A.I. Piloting (Artificial / Actual Idiot) in MSFS. If I want to get on the ground without digging a trench I have to Manually Fly the approach and landing.
Case in point: I set up a trip (roughly 6.5 hours in time) to Horn Island (YHID) off the tip of Cape York. I let A.I. Fly and went out (the wife likes to shop). I got home just in time to watch A.I. do some hedge hopping and fly the plane into a mound of dirt.

A.I. seems to fly a direct approach to the GPS coordinates and very low, sometimes it will pull up and look for the landing pattern. This presents another problem, sometimes The Landing pattern will go through hills and planes don't fly too well in a dirt medium :(

Horn I (YHID) ★★★★− Map, Procedures
Region: YB
City: Horn I
State or Province: Queensland
Elevation: 21 ft

[Twelvefield]

ILS - Instrument Landing System - opens up a world of, well, easier landings. It's a radio beam that forms a ramp to the threshold of the runway, generally. So, you use your radio to tune it. LNM is great, I love it! But the VFR map in MSFS has some of the same data. No matter what you use, you'll find the freq for the runway you are assigned, and tune that with the nav radio.

The advantage to the ILS over GPS is that it is very local, so it's agnostic of satellite data. This is important of you fly somewhere where satellite signals degrade, i.e. tall buildings and mountains. Also towards the polar regions.

The ILS also provides accurate positional data in all three dimensions, and it gets more accurate the closer you are to the runway. It's so accurate, you can enable Approach, and the plane unerringly deals with direction, descent and mostly wind speed, and generally deposits you with a slam-dunk butter landing ahead.

Still, nothing replaces human experience. I had a flight on Westjet, which takes pride in never bumping passengers. Yet, my wife and I got bumped. It was for one of the co-owners, who was a licensed commercial jet pilot. Midway through the flight, he went into the cockpit and took over the flight controls. He flew the 737 by hand, and his landing was so smooth if you didn't see it out the window you would have sworn you were still in the air. Supernatural pilot talent.

Even if you fly by hand though, (yes! that's the best!), you can follow the ILS needles in to your landing, even in pea soup outside.

Finally, if your wife shops... avoid Italy. Personal experience.

[★Macman★]

ILS decent rate can also vary e.g. it is 3 degrees as standard but 5 degrees for EGLC which we feel especially in VR. That DATA is mimicked in this version but is more realistic in MSFS 2024. To get the correct Beacon for ILS you must select the one at the end of the Runway where as RW are labelled instead from the start and point in that direction heading.

Some Beacons use the shared same one for both directions and show in the middle of RW. Some are Offset to one side just as they are in real life as they are an early basic use. In such cases you would be aware to turn AP OFF to Land and correct Course.

In GA Prop Planes you must add FULL MIX by time of GS Capture else it can drop you down too early. It is also used to be ready in such Go-Arounds and proper Mixture for Engine Pressure to function well. In a similar way you notice more Throttle is added during the Finals as Full Flaps is added for greater Flight Stability and again readiness for any Go-Arounds in Commercial Airliners.

[Puck641]

Hi Macman,
Thanks for the info, but its all Greek to me :)

Down here at the bottom of the world (Australia) we don't have many ILS equipped airports (about 15 to 20 via Little Navmap). New Zealand accross "THE DITCH" is not much better with 6.
The airports that do are Military or International Airports so ILS is a bit useless flying in Australia and NZ, may be VOR might be better, who knows :)

My main aim was to get away from MSFS A.I. Pilot

From my First Post ......
"I find that the A.I. Pilot (Actual Idiot) is way off. It will begin descending a long way from the desired destination, Buzz the airport and usually dig a trench in the ground so I have to be on it continually."

From Twelvefield's First Reply......
"The AI pilot needs some work on its code to shed its KILL ALL HUMANS neural loop programming. Leave it shut off."

The A.I. Pilot tries to mimic (????) ILS and FAILS :(

ILS is a natural progression to get on the ground safe and sound after the Auto Pilot has done its job. Most of my flights are VFR with the aid of the G1000 and a try with the G3000 in the Beechcraft King Air 350I .

Looks like you must have some influence :) with the MSFS Teams and have tried 2024 ?
If you have can you pull some strings to get rid of the Artificial IDIOT and Install an Artificial PILOT in 2020 and 2024, PLEASE :)

[★Macman★]

INOP. sorry

[Puck641]

Macman,

INOP .... INOPERATIVE? or Inappropriate?
Your comment was not inappropriate, all help is welcome!
Yep A.I. Pilot is a sometimes, maybe system

[★Macman★]

No influence here like the rest of us. Asobo have moved on from this. The AI is not trusted. Best to only use the Auto Pilot. I just had a flight in the Updated 737-700 and decided not to delete the Discontinuity before Finals. This resulted in LOC not following properly as it still relies on the GPS and is another lie. It's fine if you are already in LNAV else APR in this case did not capture the GS. It seems every Airport I select is BUGGED and not due to any Addon. It is the way the left it and care less.

[Puck641]

Looks like I will just have to use Auto Pilot and the "Seat of My Pants"

[Puck641]

Well here I am BACK AGAIN after spending hours, if not days trying ILS. I never acquired the ILS, not even once.

I have watched that many youtube vids and I'm still none the wiser :(

I'm Totally FRUSTRATED!!!!!!

What I really need is a step by step guide like this (used for Auto Pilot G1000)
1. Set altitude with Knob (ALT) (when finished press button to LOCK)
2. CDI to GPS / TERM (PINK COURSE TO FLY)
3. VS ON and use UP / Down
4. NAV ON
5. TAKE OFF
6. Gear up
7. Flaps UP
8. Auto Pilot ON

I wish they had included a Destruction Manual for ILS and The Garmin Auto Pilots as they knew the A.I. Pilot is a DUD.

Has anyone got a step by step guide for ILS (like above for the G1000)?
If they have I would Love a copy, PLEASE and THANK YOU Included :)
Puck641 aka LeapingLokie