As suggested by the team, maybe we should post our experience or tips on the copilot of the new FS2019 here. At first, I felt like in Bruce Dickinsons biography: What does this button do?
Ok, so the On-/Off-Button should be easy to start with....or not? In FS2, I just found out that just pushing that button and none else will set current heading, vertical speed while keeping manual thrust (and altitude set, by default or intentionally). In FS2019 this also seems to work that way, but thrust is in auto mode with keeping the speed when copilot is switched on.
The two buttons left of the arrows are for increasing/decreasing selected speed. In the King Air I tested, the changes in speed settings did not always display, but the thrust settings changed. In one mode, the speed setting showed in numbers above the speed bar, another time a marker on the speed band changed, but sometimes at just noticed a change in trust.
The buttons right of the arrows are to increasing/decreasing the selected altitude of the copilot. In a Glass Cockpit, this is usually displayed above the altitude band of the MFD.
The new CTR button will center the aircraft, with zero vertical speed and wings level, thrust according to selected speed. The arrows allow for heading change (left/right), or changes in vertical speed (up/down). Again, in a glass cockpit MFD this is displayed in numbers near the altitude band, and a pink spot on the VSI?
Finally, when close to the airport selected in the navigation for landing, a new button auto-land appears. It will do that, but don‘t expect the copilot the follow the route unless on short final. At least that‘s what I experienced once (and did not try again yet).
Correct me if I‘m wrong or post additional/other actions.
Patrick
Updated - push
Since flying with the new copilot, I had at least two severe occasions where it almost killed me, and once actually did. Hard to reproduce as it happened very randomly, with different planes and different locations. But the pattern that lead to it was the same:
When flying a route with copilot engaged in ALTSEL and HDG mode, I switched it off shortly before reaching the final waypoint toward the final approach.
After turning into the approach I selected flaps one. Altitude, sink rate etc. were OK. Then suddenly I noticed a click, and had to realise the flaps were retracted again. I did not do it, neither was I too fast. Then, thrust changed on its own as well, and trim was running away as well. I really had to fight to get control back, and one time did not manage to do so. This happened twice with the KingAir, and once with the Dash8.
No idea what happened there, but it really felt as if someone else had taken over control, although flying manually.
Apart from that, even when co-pilot is off, sometime MFD announces different AP modes as active, as well as flight director, sometimes not.
Although I really appreciate that for added realism and limited interface options on mobile a lot of automation seems to happen in the background, some documentation would be very, very useful. I know that when it gets really busy, documentation is the last thing there is time for, but, please.
Thanks,
Patrick
Updated - see above
