The beneficial tool provides signals to assist autopilot and pilot control inputs along computed and predetermined flight paths. This includes the role of many essential elements for cumulative functioning. Knowing what a flight director system does and its role in flying an aircraft can help you stand out from the fierce competition in the world of regional aviation.

Instructors at Momentum Flight Training focus on all aspects critical to flying a regional airplane safely. Join our exclusive 1-day, 3-day, and 5-day aircraft simulator training programs designed to help pilots feel ready to navigate diverse flight situations confidently.

We tailor our curriculum and training methods as per the latest standards and specific requirements of particular airlines. Before you discuss your learning goals with us, here are some important things to refresh your knowledge and understanding of flight director systems.

Fact #1- Flight Director Systems and Autopilot Aren't the Same

Most advanced avionics include two integrated yet different systems, known as the flight director and the autopilot system. While both terms sound similar at first glance, they're not interchangeable, meaning they're separate systems that work closely together.

Autopilots can fly level and straight, but higher calculations are required when there are additional tasks of changing altitudes, finding selected intercepting, and tracking navigation sources with the wind, among other tasks.

The autopilot, which is the set of servo actuators that control circuits and movement, accounts for the required attitude represented on the attitude indicator that's evaluated by the flight director system.

This means that the autopilot actually controls the aircraft and its heading, attitude, and altitude, while the flight director, considered the brain of the autopilot system, calculates and displays the pre-programmed, planned flying route to the pilot.

Pilots can also activate the flight director system to fly the aviator manually, according to the suggested attitude, without needing to engage the autopilot. That's because the flight director system is designed with computational commands to accomplish the tasks and display indications for the pilots for further guidance.  

Flight director systems accept data input from the navigation sources, Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS), the autopilot servo feedback, the air data computer (ADC), and the pilot's control panel, among others.

Pilots must know how to program the flight director systems because not pre-programing it correctly or in time can result in the guidance being inaccurate.

Fact #2- The Flight Director System Can Direct George or the Pilot

Another helpful and interesting feature of the flight director system is that pilots can engage it without engaging the autopilot if the visual display feature is available. If a pilot plans to fly manually but still wants a visual reference for the aircraft's desired attitude, the flight director will be incredibly beneficial.

For instance, if a pilot plans to make a VFR departure at night and wants to perform the climb without the autopilot, night VFR can be like IFR, depending on your location. This is because, without ambient lighting, pilots can easily lose reference to the ground. In this case, engaging the flight director system gives pilots an accurate target on the attitude indicator to fly.

Even when a pilot is hand-flying an instrument approach, the flight director can be activated while the autopilot is disengaged. Flying the command bards of the flight director systems would take pilots all the way to the destined runway.

This means pilots cannot activate the autopilot system without activating the flight director system. However, the flight director display can be initiated without activating the autopilot.

Fact #3- Learning to Use the Flight Director System Helps Exercise Workload Management

The entire idea of the flight director system is to mitigate some of the interpretations required for precision flying. Ironically, when pilots initially learn to use a flight director system, they notice an increase in the workload before they start realizing its benefits.

When the flight director is added to the instrument presentation, the tasks a pilot must complete increase as the system needs to be programmed and activated in addition to all else they do when flying an aviator.   

Not programming the system properly for each altitude change, navigation reference, or heading could indicate inaccurate guidance as it then directs pilots back toward the last attitude, altitude, or heading that was dialed in.  

Experienced instrument pilots are well aware of making small control inputs to avoid distractions and get precise pitch and bank control. Holistic knowledge, lots of practice, and frequent use of the systems are the keys to keeping them programmed ahead of the plane effortlessly rather than making changes per the raw data and then keeping up by programming the flight director.

Workload management and situational awareness are both major factors when it comes to aviation safety. The flight director and autopilot are tools incredibly useful for taking situational awareness to another level when undertaking the desired flight path.

If you want to familiarize yourself with all the systems before you can take on the skies as a first officer of a regional airline, speak to our experienced instructors. They can walk you through our exclusively designed aircraft simulator training programs so you can enroll in one that best suits your learning needs.

Highly experienced instructors use the latest AATD CRJ simulators and in-depth lessons to make the transition smoother for aspiring regional airline pilots. Call 833] 427-5876 for more information.