Installing Autopilot Vizion TRUTRAK FLIGHT SYSTEMS on my TECNAM

Trutrak is the highest quality avionics and autopilots available in the Experimental & Light Sport Aviation markets. I believe that the Vizion is the best stand-alone autopilot ever created. Vizion autopilot was created with both the VFR and IFR pilot in mind. One of the best introdiction in this autopilot is the new Emergency Level Mode   designed primarily for the VFR pilot that inadvertently finds himself in IMC. The operation of the Altitude Select and Altitude Preselect Modes were designed to be extremely useable and useful in IFR flight, even to the extent that an Altitude Select can be entered and the vertical speed is easily adjusted to any desired value. This feature is extremely useful when initiating approaches or during step down approaches.

The face of the autopilot has a display for showing mode and other information to the pilot. Also on the face of the autopilot there is a MODE button, ALT button, and a KNOB. Most modes and features of the autopilot are accessed using MODE, ALT, and KNOB. There are a few different ways to utilize the MODE and ALT buttons, one is a momentary press and release, this will be called “press”. The other way to utilize the MODE or ALT button, is to press and hold the button until the display changes, this will be called “press and hold”.

The press and hold function requires approximately 2 seconds for the hold. Similarly to the MODE and ALT buttons, the KNOB has press and press and hold functions. The knob is also rotated for selecting new values for data entry. The rotation will be called “select”. 

We just put the interface in the middle of the cockpit.

Not on the face of the unit, but also integral pieces of the autopilot system are the control wheel steering button or CWS button, and the AP LEVEL button (the Blue and Red button in the picture above). Like the MODE, ALT, and KNOB, the CWS button has both press and press and hold functions.

TRUTRAK systems need a GPS to work. Not every GPS system has the output for the autpilot. To be safe we preferred to buy on the aviation market a reliable Garmin GPSmap 296, put on the top of the cockpit as shown in the pic. You have two main lateral modes, heading mode (with seleftable increments of 5 degrees ) and nav mode (it follows the direct to the waypoint selected on the Garmin). 

Here a video while I select in flight a VOR Approach Procedure at Airport of Crotone in Italy flying it with Autopilot in NAV mode.

You have two main vertical modes, ALT hold and Vertical Speed to the selected Altitude. I suggest to align always the system Altitude (GPS) with the Baro Altitude. You have to make practice to navigate inside internal menus. 

One of the most important thing of any Autopilot is the autotrim. Don't try to save 700 euro renouncing to it. Normally for high change of asset and speed it requests to the pilot to change the trim, otherwise you will feel continously little hits on the control stick.

In case the Autopilot is making something weird, you can use the CWS button (Control Wheel Steering) without disengaging the Autopilot. For safety reason we added a master button and a breaker (we don't want to have surprises with Flight Controls).

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