That is true. The RVR will be at least 800 meter.
It does effect the minima,
W/o A/P the minimum allowable RVR in single pilot operations is 800 m?
I did my IFR training on a PA28 without autopilot and flew many hours in an IFR certified Piper Archer III without autopilot and flew IFR handheld. It does effect the minima, but did even my IFR exam in an aircraft without AP. So, I am not aware of why it would not be allowed but would strongly advise against flying in IMC conditions without any AP to help you manage everything.
boscomantico wrote:
Part-NCO does not call for an autopilot for single pilot IFR.
In theory that’s the answer – the part-NCO AMC/GM makes only 3 references to autopilots: a note that portable electronics may interfere, and the changes to RVR minima during sinle pilot operations for airplanes and helocopters.
However Belgium (along with just about everybody else) has derogated from part-NCO until August 2016.
Pragmatically I think the need for an autopilot depends on what you’re doing. If its a 3 hour flight on airways at altitude, then it makes a huge difference. If it’s a short flight outside controlled airspace with an instrument approach at the end, then it is nice to have – but it can also be nice to hand fly for the fun of it.
Welcome @JVbst 
An autopilot makes a massive difference to IFR flying. The workload drops by a factor of about 10×.
But, the great secret of IFR is that one spends most of one’s time on VMC, rather than being squeezed under the base of controlled airspace.
This leaves only limited resources to brief the approach, take care of the weather, watch for traffic in VMC etc.
As a newly minted IR, you should be careful not to get in over your head until you have acquired a little more experience. An autopilot does indeed free up your mind so you can think ahead, and is particularly useful during high workload phases of flight. At the levels most of us fly, we would rarely have a jet 1000 feet above or below.
When that is said, it also depends on the autopilot. You may very well find out that your autopilot is of little use in turbulence or disconnects when you need it the most (pitch trim on the KAP-140 for example). So you do need to be able to hand fly in every circumstances.
With experience the mental capacity required to do the tasks during the high workload phases of flight will decrease and multitasking will be easier. Nevertheless, an autopilot is a great resource.
If weather is perfect (no turbulence), you are somewhat familiar with the airports… you may determine that you can conduct the flight without an autopilot. The equipment in your airplane, the weather and your proficiency should always weigh in on your go/no-go decision.
Part-NCO does not call for an autopilot for single pilot IFR. Still, it would be worthwhile to check the current Belgian regulations on this.
I can not tell you what the situation is like with a Belgian plane but for the German registered planes you need an autopilot which can maintain altitude. And even if it was legal to fly without I would not do it. Recently I was hand flying for training 2 hours and it just takes a lot of concentration to maintain the altitude previsely. In IFR flight there is very little tolerance for vertical deviations. They will send passenger jets directly 1000ft over you. So maintaining a flight level manually is a lot of work. Even if you have trimmed the plane perfectly a passenger moves forward and you have to trim again. This leaves only limited resources to brief the approach, take care of the weather, watch for traffic in VMC etc.
No, you need another person to fly ifr without autopilot
