that is persuasive, Ken. i definitely agree that crisis management would not be learnt by using this system. maybe that is important. but consider that if you don't have that system installed and the beginner has a crisis, nothing can really save him from rekitting his plane. anyway, let's not beat a dead horse. in short, the system is flawed and in being so puts the plane at risk. furthermore the pilot who uses this system will inevitably depend on it and thus inhibit him from moving away from it.

as for the soloing of a full scale plane. i would use any system that would allow me to fly!!! and maybe that's the mentality of those that buy the system have. it would be a shame to lose those enthusiasts to a flawed system.

You're right about a dead horse! I can tell you for a fact that not all auto pilots are created equal. The best system, the FMA Co-Pilot, is very difficult to mount on anything but a high wing aircraft. That in itself, forces new pilots to move on without relying on a system.

Happy Landings!

Thank you for writing this. My brother and I tested the "let go of the sicks" theory with a couple of trainers. Even with a good bit of altitude, banking them 90 degrees in a turn and releasing the sticks puts them into what would become a death spiral if no other action was taken.

You say, "Don't bank them 90 degrees in a turn. After all, it is a trainer not a racer." I agree, but, over-controlling is exactly what most of us did the first time we touched a transmitter.

My first instructor and I talked about 'self-righting' characteristics of trainers. He told me the reality of what that means is much different than what is written in the ad copy. He always told me, "After every control input, you owe the plane some opposite input to bring it back to level." He told me a trainer that is flying straight and level will pretty much do that forever if you leave it alone but changing the attitude of the plane needs two inputs; one to make the change and one to stop it.

If I have student show up with one of these stabilizing training aids on their plane I'll discuss the pros and con's of it so they'll understand why I'm disconnecting it. If they insist on having it hooked up I'll send them off to another instructor as I will not fly with one for many of the same reasons as RCKen pointed out.

When I have a student up on a first flight on a buddy box, they usually don't touch the sticks for the first 5 minutes. I like to demonstrate as much of the capabilities of the plane as possible. One of the last I demonstrate is the recovery capabilities - as much for me to know how their plane will react to releasing the sticks when its in an unusual attitude as for them to see how the plane will react and just dive for the ground. Most properly trimmed and balanced trainers will start to return back to level flight and if given enough altitude and distance will. But in reality releasing the sticks will allow the plane to more or less turn upright and get into a position more recognizable for a student to make the proper corrections to recover the plane.

Hogflyer