I just returned from a nice summer trip in Burgas, Corfu and Dubrovnik. Not too many covid related hurdles, just a few more forms to fill in than usual. No more annoying queues inside the now almost empty terminals, not to mention the fast handling and impeccable refueling services at all 3 airports.
I kept wondering about being kept in isolation for a false positive covid test, or maybe a flight plan rejection between countries, but I didn’t expect issues with the aircraft itself.
It seems my Stec 60-2 autopilot decided all was too well and started hunting or overshooting about 5 degrees left and right in both heading and navigation modes, especially while climbing at higher rates, as was the case over the Montenegro mountains after take-off from Dubrovnik.
Any idea what could cause this and how expensive a repair would be?
For those interested in the trip itself, with a Socata TB20, 2 persons, and parking for 2 or 3 days, there is AvGas available at all 3 airports, with prices ranging from 2.50 and 3 euros per liter, and handling with parking and everything else was between 130 and 190 euros. Just remember to bring your AOPA card with you and don’t request VIP handling in Corfu.
What is “VIP handling” in Corfu ?
Sounds like it needs a fresh calibration – my KAP140 did that when a servo was going bad and needed replacement. It turned out the servo was “hard” to move and that’s why the autopilot overcorrected itself a lot. After it has been swapped and the autopilot was re-calibrated, all was fine again.
VIP handling in corfu ? They probably pick you up by a black mercedes, bring you to the GAT and hand you greek goat cheese as well as some ouzo for the way ;-)
