Cirrus Perspective - Flight Director vs. Autopilot

This video is here to give a clear understanding of the Flight Director versus the Autopilot. Many times I have found that people think the Flight Director is the Autopilot or that the Autopilot is on. Flying with the Flight Director is a very powerful thing and set up.
Understanding the Flight Director starts at understanding:
The Flight Mode Annunciator Panel (I call it the scoreboard)
Active and Standby command modes
Hand flying with the flight director versus the autopilot on and off.

[@ericmcgrew8952]

Love your videos Man. You are an excellent instructor. Very methodical and explanatory. Thank you!

[@JSH1515]

Thanks. Didn’t realize I could command the FD with the AFCS. What a sweet aide to hand flying. It’s like bugs on steroids!

[@locustvalleystring]

Thanks for sharing. Lots of good demos. Still learning!

[@randysmith7657]

I wish I had found this video sooner…thank you for going through this step by step. Extremely informative after I’ve spent way too many hours attempting to get this down.

[@ldl230-r8m]

I found this video to be very helpful -- thank you.

[@jeanfrancois7344]

All your videos are very informative.

[@mountainverdict]

Excellent video. I finally understand the FD. I’ve completed the King G1000 course, and your explanation made far more sense to separate out the functionality of the FD v. AP. How it captures the “picture” of your current scoreboard. I was also confusing using the AP v. hand flying in FD mode. I’m doing my Cirrus Embark transition training in 3 weeks, and this is a big help. The only part I didn’t quite follow was the sequence for using the IAS in the climb. From straight & level flight was in the sequence of inputs of both the FMS & the aircraft to accomplish a smooth transition into a IAS climb? Thanks for sharing.

[@3dogman311]

Very informative. Thanks.

[@ian1972pilot]

THANK YOU! This brought me a lot more clarity on this topic; which is sometimes hard to retain in the cockpit while trying to avoid Bravo airspace/traffic/terrain and still manage my workload. I'm a rusty pilot who has been transitioning to a SR20 (yep feel like Buck Rogers being thawed from steam punk gage days into G1000's! sometimes!) and my understanding on this topic has been hampering my progress. Very helpful! Keep up the content! Hopefully, I'll get a chance to show a little more mastery next time! :)

[@al.waterloo]

Awesome Ian! Thank you for this. I appreciate your insights and congratulations on your SR20 transition. This is so cool!

[@jamesgivens4446]

Superb discussion of the use of the Perspective FD! Please do some more of these and show the center console as you are making adjustments. I am especially interested in your routine of take off and climb out as you go to AP. Keep the videos coming, I am new to this system and this has been the best Tutorial I have seen.

[@al.waterloo]

Hi James! Thank you. Glad you found it useful. If you have other suggestions for videos like this let me know. I'll do my best to put something together.

[@JonMulveyGuitar]

Excellent clip! FD has been a bit of a mystery until now. Thanks!

[@al.waterloo]

Glad it helped! Just breaking it down and understanding what it actually does is key!

[@rustusandroid]

My X-Plane skills greatly increased... thank you :)

[@al.waterloo]

Nice work!

[@stevej7178]

Brilliant video.. thankyou

[@IkoVenture]

This is one area I think avidyne has a slightly better interface. When you are in AP mode, and go to FD mode the command bars go from magenta to green so there is no question you are in FD mode ,also there is a big button and annunciator that says FD. I think the bars on the Garmin go hollow which is nice, but there is nothing in the annunciator panel that specifically says it’s in FD mode. I particularly like switching from AP to FD modes towards the end of precision approaches. Also there are certain things with especially with the DFC 90 I like. For instance, if you push and hold VS and have the Alt preselect the AP automatically inputs a 500 FPM descent. Little things, but fewer button pushes. With that said the GFC700 is an amazing AP and has some features that the Avidyne setup doesn’t have.

[@quinnjim]

Thanks for the video. This will come in handy as I transition to a 2016 Cirrus from my old 2005 (with Avidyne). The only bummer is that you are pushing a LOT of button off screen. If you get a second camera, most editing software will let you use "picture in picture" or "split screen" to show exactly what is going on. Thanks again.

[@al.waterloo]

Awesome! I am glad you are moving into a 2016 Cirrus. How awesome. Yes, this was filmed with my phone 6 years ago! I only had that camera at the time. In future videos I’ll put something together.

[@Username64870]

One of the best explanation. Keep it up.

[@al.waterloo]

Thanks a ton, I am glad this was helpful! Thanks for watching.

[@justayoutuba5380]

You have taught me how to use flight director for simulation. Ty

[@mikebush3288]

Awesome video.

[@stevejones6621]

Wow that's incredible! I have only flown cessnas with steam gauges before all of this technology came out.

[@al.waterloo]

Steam gauges are a great place to start! Its where everything is started that drives this new technology!

[@jakew9887]

Great Video. Thanks

[@stevevogt5842]

Great video just learning perspective plus. How do you flight level change ( IAS) and climb by air speed ? I saw the IAS change by some knob? Or were you doing it by pitching up ? please do more videos . The cameras was perfect on this to watch how you demonstrated.

[@al.waterloo]

Glad you are learning how to fly the Perspective Plus! It is such a nice system. You are correct to say that Flight Level Change (FLC) is the same function as Indicated Airspeed Climb (IAS). Typically I only climb in FLC or IAS and descend in VS mode. Here are the steps. 1) Select your new desired altitude with the Altitude selector knob 2) Push IAS/FLC on the Auto Pilot panel to activate the mode 3) Use the thumb wheel to select the desired speed to climb at 4) Verify in the Flight Mode Annunciator (Scoreboard) that IAS/FLC mode is in Green and ALTS is in white 5) Monitor your climb and level off.

[@stevevogt5842]

Thanks , got it - did that today. It’s how In AP it’s how I will climb and defend .

[@Salim-pt4tj]

very good explanation .

[@al.waterloo]

Thank you!

[@highendaudio]

So basically, Flight Director is a “guide” for hand flying. It’s sort of in between, complete hand flying and auto pilot. Do I have that right?

[@markschussler567]

Great video, I'm a student pilot but will be getting a Cirrus for sure, end of next year.

[@al.waterloo]

That’s great! Congratulations!

[@2Greenlid]

Not sure why you don’t show which knobs you are pushing/twisting? At least half the time, otherwise great help ! but I have a separate picture trying to figure out which knobs you are using, thank you!

[@flymukund]

Well the GPS on the Scoreboard is unique to Garmin, on the other aircraft you would see FMS, because the FMS receives inputs from IRS & GPS and it figures out the best accuracy.

[@freedom4u18]

Nice video very informative.

[@al.waterloo]

Freedom4U thank you! It used to be on my old channel and got lost. Thought I’d repost it again!

[@tedbates1316]

Does the FD have any authority on the yoke or does it just provide prompts for you, or the AP, to follow? Thanks

[@al.waterloo]

The flight director does not have any yoke authority only you hand flying or the auto pilot servos will follow the flight director.

[@FTStratLP]

FD vs AP is not a quite correct title. Correct was Pilot following FD commands vs AP following FD commands, because the AP is also guided by the FD.

[@BMXStatus302]

My biggest gripe with the Perspective system is the only way you can shut the AP off without killing the FD is by pushing the AP button on the FGP. It’s so backwards compared to every other avionics system I’ve flown behind.

[@richardhobbs8433]

This video was extremely iseful Thanks a lot

[@al.waterloo]

Glad it was helpful!

[@HR3EEE]

Al where should I send the $149? lol. Really informative, Thanks!

[@bobmccoy4652]

Here's my dumb question for today,,,,,, is this IFR? or typical VFR flying? I've booked my first discovery flight later this month. Trying to learn all I can.

[@al.waterloo]

Good morning! Awesome job getting your lesson booked! You are going to love it. I filmed this years ago it was under VFR conditions but these principals will work for both VFR and IFR conditions. It’s important to realize the that the programming the Flight Director and its important systems.

[@FlyingSurprise]

I am trying to figure out why my sr22 autopilot freaks out in FS2020. Is it the flight director that causes it?

[@savagecub]

Yeah but a 747 has a dual cueing flight director which is more precise when used with efis instrumentation.

[@datutturugang666]

now THAT’S some wind

[@AudioTones67]

What do the pink boxes indicate?

[@al.waterloo]

That is a part of the Synthetic Vision System - called the Pathways. Or its street name is "The High Way in the Sky." Follows your flight plan and set altitude.

[@gs2162]

Center "counsel"? How does someone with a pilot's license think that's how you pronounce center console?

[@DavidR_192]

I can't believe anyone who flies a G1000 would not know the basic fundamentals of the difference between the FD and AP.

[@terryjordan7276]

Im a professional xplane pylot that eats doritos and orange pop and I just flew from Atlanta to melbourne beach. I have to go potty now. Bye