Cross Track help

[terrafly]

Ok, I have been thinking about this for a long time. Why is cross track more desirable when you are using an autopilot that is getting its data from a gps?

Just relying on course made good, an autopilot with a gps will steer your plane so that the combined motion of the plane being blown by wind is moving toward the destination waypoint. This means the plane will steer into the wind to compensate, so that its overall motion is directly toward the waypoint.

Wouldn't the path be pretty similar to that of an autopilot relying on cross track?

Thanks!

[mlbco]

Terrafly,

Your method will work for getting you to a waypoint, but most operators would like to follow a specific path in space between 2 wayppoints. Cross track feedback forces the plane to fly along the specified path and not just head to the next waypoint. If your flight plan has many closely spaced waypoints the two methods give similar results.

Steve Morris