Dynon SkyView Autopilot

The SkyView Autopilot, integrated with SkyView HDX, offers automated pitch and roll controls, allowing for pre-defined flight plans, direct navigation, and altitude adjustments using vertical speed or airspeed controls. It can fly any instrument approach when paired with a compatible IFR navigation device. For certain aircraft, a yaw damper counters yaw instability, enhancing ride comfort during turbulence or during coordinated turns. The primary interface is an on-screen control menu on the Primary Flight Display, with buttons for autopilot, flight director, and yaw damper (if installed). Control modes are categorized into roll (HDG, TRK, NAV, HSI SRC) and pitch (ALT HOLD, VS, VNAV, IAS) for streamlined navigation and flight adjustments.

Pilot Interface

The optional SkyView Autopilot integrates with SkyView HDX to provide you with automated control of your airplane in the pitch and roll axes. This means that you can command the autopilot to follow your pre-defined flightplan, fly direct-to a waypoint, VOR, or airport, and turn to and maintain the heading or track of your preference. The autopilot will also climb or descend to and maintain the altitude of your choice using either vertical speed or airspeed to control the climb and descent rate. The autopilot will fly any instrument precision approach or non-precision approach when your aircraft is equipped with a compatible third-party IFR navigation device.

Yaw control is also available for select aircraft in the form of a yaw damper. The SkyView Autopilot yaw damper will counter the effects of yaw instability by maintaining a centered slip/skid indicator. Minor yaw instability often reveals itself during turbulence. Some airplanes will generate lateral G oscillations (tail-wag) when turbulence is encountered. The result is an uncomfortable ride that can contribute to airsickness of sensitive passengers. Some airplanes generate opposing yaw when rolling into a turn, which requires the coordinated application of rudder to keep the slip/skid indicator centered. If your airplane has this adverse yaw tendency, the yaw damper will aid the autopilot during heading changes by applying the necessary rudder to maintain a coordinated turn. If your airplane experiences either of these two conditions, ride comfort and autopilot performance will be improved if you install the yaw damper with your autopilot.

Autopilot Menu

The standard SkyView autopilot interface is the on-screen control menu. The on screen control menu can be accessed by simply touching the AP Status Bar (described below) which is always visible on the Primary Flight Display (PFD).

The control menu has two or three buttons across the top, depending on whether the yaw damper has been installed or not. The button marked AP engages the autopilot. The button marked FD will turn on the Flight Director when flying manually with the autopilot not engaged (the flight director turns on automatically when the autopilot is engaged). The third button will engage the Yaw Damper, if installed. The green indicators on each button provide the status for each system.

Below the top row of buttons are where the various control modes are located. These buttons divide into the roll and pitch modes.

The Roll modes include HDG (heading), TRK (track), NAV (navigation) and HSI SRC (Horizontal Situation Indicator Source Selector.)

The Pitch modes consist of ALT HOLD (altitude hold), VS (vertical speed) VNAV (vertical navigation, and IAS (indicated airspeed). ALT HOLD, VS, and IAS all have pilot selectable values associated. VS mode is expressed in the rate of feet per minute the pilot desires to climb or descend. IAS mode simply selects the current speed the airplane is traveling at, and maintains this speed while climbing or descending. The nose up and nose down button allows the pilot to increase or decrease the vertical control mode value, which could be vertical speed or the airplane's indicated airspeed, depending on the selected mode. VNAV mode either arms or engages the approach mode with vertical guidance that has been selected for the desired approach.

The autopilot status bar is divided into three zones, roll status to the left, autopilot engagement status in the center, and pitch status on the right. When the autopilot is engaged, the AP letters will be displayed in green. Because the roll and pitch modes can be engaged separately, green arrows will also appear to indicate the engaged mode- roll, pitch, or both, as shown below. White pitch or roll status represents armed modes. Armed modes are modes that will automatically engage when certain parameters are met.

In the roll status area, the roll mode selected by the pilot is displayed, along with the pilot selected value associated with that mode. In the depicted case above, the pilot has selected heading (HDG) mode, which means the autopilot will steer the airplane by turning to and maintaining the heading selected by the pilot, in this case 185 degrees magnetic. The roll status may include an armed mode that the autopilot will transition to automatically when a selected target has been reached. In this case, no modes are armed.

Yaw Damper Control

The Yaw Damper, if installed, may be engaged independently from the autopilot and can be engaged when the autopilot is not. The Yaw Damper on/off control resides on the autopilot control menu, or the optional Yaw Damper toggle button may be installed.

To independently engage the Yaw Damper, select the YD button on the autopilot control menu. The YD button light will turn green when engaged, and the Slip/Skid Indicator will appear green, with the letters YD in black. To disengage the Yaw Damper, toggle the YD button on the autopilot control menu to off. The green YD button light will extinguish.

Yaw Damper status is also provided on the PFD. The Slip/Skid Indicator (Ball) will change its appearance when the Yaw Damper is engaged from white to green, with the letters YD, as shown in the figure below.

Because the Yaw Damper provides active control of the rudder, it should be deactivated when manual flight maneuvering is required, such as when entering an airport traffic pattern. However, if forgotten, applying pressure on a rudder pedal when the Yaw Damper is engaged will just override the Yaw Damper and cause the Yaw Damper servo to slip, just as the autopilot servos do.

Autopilot Flight Director

Autopilot control mode guidance can be used to fly manually by following the targets calculated by the autopilot without engaging the servos. The targets are provided visually on the PFD by the Flight Director. The autopilot enforced limits on Airspeed and G are honored by the Flight Director. For example, if a descent rate is selected that reaches the maximum autopilot operation speed the flight director will indicate a pitch up to reduce speed and limit descent rate.

To fly manually with the flight director on, configure the autopilot control menu as described above, but instead of pushing the AP button, push the FD button instead. The flight director will immediately begin to move in the configured manner, and you will need to maneuver the airplane to match the flight director queues displayed on the PFD.

Autopilot Control Panel

The autopilot control panel is available in both horizontal and vertical layouts. These dedicated control panels provide the same controls as the expert control menu described above, with the exception of the added Level button. The benefits of the autopilot control panels is that it provides direct-button access to all of the autopilot's control modes. The pilot does not need to open the autopilot menu on the display to control the autopilot.

The autopilot control panel also provides Auto-Trim. The autopilot control panel includes a trim system controller, which is intended to allow the autopilot to automate the use of your electric pitch and roll trim systems, should your airplane be equipped. Auto-trim is not required, but it is very nice to have, as the autopilot will always keep the airplane in trim. Without Auto-trim, the pilot will simply respond to trim input commands displayed on the PFD by applying trim manually.

Pressing the Level button (or Straight and Level Mode) will immediately command the autopilot to pitch the airplane to zero vertical speed and roll it to zero degrees of bank. It will not attempt to fly the airplane to any previous altitude, heading or track, and it will not respect any bug inputs. It will maintain the level pitch and bank attitudes, on the heading and altitude at which it recovered to. When activated, Level Mode will engage the Autopilot if it was not already engaged.

Note that the autopilot control panel includes a level button. Locating this button in the co-pilot position however, adds an additional level of safety. While the primary purpose of this safety feature is to aid the pilot’s recovery from an unusual attitude should the pilot lose the visual horizon and become confused. The Level button may also be used by the person seated in the right seat to quickly engage the autopilot should the pilot be incapacitated.

Knob Control Panel

The Knob Control Panel, available in horizontal and vertical layouts, is a helpful aid for using the autopilot. This panel gives you direct access to the knobs used to select the desired heading (HDG) or Track (TRK) value you want the autopilot to hold, as well as the altitude (ALT) value you want the autopilot to capture and hold. The third knob, BARO, lets you directly adjust the barometer setting just as you would on a mechanical pressure-sensitive altimeter.

This panel is optional. All of these functions are adjustable by using one of the two knobs on the display. Many pilots find having dedicated controls to be a significant workload reducer.