C172 PLT; IN IMC CONDITIONS HAD TRACK DEV IN ROA CLASS E.

Narrative

ABOUT 6 WKS AFTER GETTING MY IFR TRAINING AND ENDORSEMENT IN CRYSTAL CLR VFR WX; I FINALLY HAD THE CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE ACTUAL IFR CONDITIONS ON A SUNDAY MORNING. A WARM DRIZZLE WAS FALLING SO I DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ICE; AND THE CLOUDS WERE LOW (ABOUT 800 FT) AND THICK (PRETTY CONSTANT BTWN ENTRY AND MY CRUISE AT 6000 FT; WITH NO THINNING IN SIGHT). I DECIDED TO GO TO LYH VIA DIRECT MOL AND THEN V143. NOT DIRECT; BUT IT LET ME FLY LOW ENOUGH TO STAY SAFELY BELOW THE FREEZING LEVEL. THE FLT WENT FINE UNTIL I GOT CLOSE TO MOL. I WANTED TO START PLANNING MY ILS APCH INTO LYH; SO I TURNED ON THE AUTOPLT AND LOOKED DOWN. AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS ROANOKE APCH ASKED ME WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS GOING; AND I LOOKED UP FROM MY LAP TO SEE THE ACFT HAD MADE A NICE STANDARD RATE TURN 90 DEGS TO THE R; AND THE PLANE WAS STILL BANKED. NEEDLESS TO SAY; I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND GOT BACK ON COURSE AS QUICKLY AS I COULD. I'M HAPPY TO RPT I AVOIDED AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE; BUT I WAS CONFUSED ENOUGH THAT LUCK WAS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN DOING SO. AFTER I SHOT A COUPLE OF GOOD APCHS AND GOT IN MY CAR TO RETURN HOME; I STARTED THINKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. I REALIZED I HADN'T REALLY USED MY AUTOPLT IN ABOUT 3 MONTHS AS I WANTED TO FLY BY HAND IN PREPARATION FOR MY 10 DAY INST COURSE; AND I CERTAINLY DIDN'T USE IT DURING MY IFR TRAINING OR CHK RIDE. AFTER I HAD FINISHED; I WAS A CERTIFIED INST PLT WITH AN ATTRACTIVE PIECE OF EQUIP I HAD NEVER USED DURING TRAINING. ALL OF MY TIME UNDER THE HOOD; BOTH IN TRAINING AND ON THE CHK RIDE; WERE SPENT HAND-FLYING THE PLANE. WHEN I GOT IN REAL IFR AND NEEDED TO THINK FOR A SECOND; I WAS UNPREPARED TO ACTUALLY USE THE AUTOPLT. I JUST TURNED IT ON AND HAD IT TRACK THE VOR. I NEVER SET THE HEADING BUG WHICH THE AUTOPLT USES FOR INITIAL HEADING EVEN IN NAV MODE. WHILE HAND-FLYING DURING IFR TRAINING IS CERTAINLY CRITICAL; CFII'S SHOULD HAVE THEIR STUDENTS USE THE AUTOPLT (AND ANY OTHER EQUIP IN THE PLANE) AS PART OF THE TRAINING. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO LAST LONG; BUT NEWLY CERTIFIED IFR PLTS SHOULD BE COMFORTABLE WITH ALL OF THEIR EQUIP ON THE PLANE; NOT JUST THE PIECES THEY'RE ALLOWED TO USE ON CHK RIDES. LEAVING PLTS TO PLAY WITH THEIR EQUIP UNDER LIMITED VISIBILITY ON THEIR OWN IS JUST A BAD IDEA.