Wouldn’t it be nice to have the EFIS and autopilot take over while you diagnose an engine problem? Like having a copilot you don’t have to feed. KITPLANES editor in chief, Marc Cook, demonstrates the new feature available in the Dynon HDX instruments.
Before the Dynon Emergency Glide will work you need:
- A Dynon HDX EFIS. It does not work in the earlier Dynon SkyView or SkyView Touch systems.
- Or a recent Advanced Flight Systems EFIS.
- A two-axis autopilot.
- The system needs to be preconfigured with the airplane’s best-glide speed.
- The “expert” mode must be enabled in the autopilot control panel.
- You need a current navigation database in the system.
- The “nearest” filters properly configured (no heliports or seaplane bases, unless you want to try to land there).
Dynon says that “upon activation, the EMERGENCY GLIDE ACTIVE alert displays on the PFD and the Autopilot is engaged and commands the aircraft to fly level at best glide speed. Emergency Glide then begins to set up for a NAV-based Autopilot and starts calculations, considering terrain and current wind conditions, to determine the best airport for landing.”
