In aviation, there are a few timeless truths. One of these truths is that airplanes that, for whatever reason, are invested with uncanny inspiration will remain timeless. The DC-3, the J-3 Cub and the Aeronca Champ are all airplanes that are well over 60 years old and are still being manufactured or re-manufactured because nothing else matches the mission that these airplanes were originally designed to perform.
In 1947, the Beechcraft aircraft corporation designed an airplane known as a Bonanza. This single engine airplane was built to appeal to the business traveler and the veteran pilot from World War II that found himself in need of a fast airplane that was economical to operate. The Bonanza met that need perfectly ....
Read the full article (.PDF)
Insider Tips
The author of this article mentioned some difficulty in accessing the autopilot controls and the throttle quadrant. Actually, there are 2-D "popup" panels for each of these available. To display the autopilot panel press SHIFT+2. To display the throttle quadrant, press SHIFT+6. (SHIFT+4 in the non-glass version.)
He also reported having trouble getting the autopilot to fly the GPS flight plan. Aircraft Test Lead Mike Lambert from our team offers these instructions:
-
Use the flight planner to create a flight plan as you normally would.
-
Press the CDI soft key on the G1000 PFD until the source is "GPS," not "VOR1" or "VOR2" (the needle will change colors to magenta.) This is the effective equivalent of the Nav/GPS switch in a G1000-equipped cockpit.
-
Display the autopilot by pressing SHIFT+2.
-
Press the NAV button on the autopilot. With the autopilot on (turn on ALT, too) the airplane will now follow the flight plan course.