AN IFR LANCAIR IV-P PILOT DESCRIBES HIS INABILITY TO FOLLOW ATC INSTRUCTIONS BECAUSE HE DID NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND THE AIRCRAFT'S COMPLEX AUTOMATION FUNCTIONS AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VARIOUS COMPONENTS.

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THIS TOPIC HAS BEEN DISCUSSED IN VARIOUS FORUMS BUT I RECENTLY RECEIVED A REFRESHER LESSON THAT I WAS NOT EXPECTING. PREVIOUSLY HAVING TRANSITIONED INTO A NEW ACFT TYPE WITH EFIS; FMS AND SOME OTHER INSTS THAT I AM STILL LEARNING; AND NOT HAVING FLOWN THIS PARTICULAR ACFT IN SEVERAL MONTHS; I HAD NO TROUBLE FLYING THE ACFT BUT ENCOUNTERED DIFFICULTY ON CLBOUT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO USE THE AUTOPLT. THIS SETUP HAS A NUMBER OF DISPLAY AND INPUT COMBINATIONS. I THOUGHT I HAD THE AUTOPLT SET UP PROPERLY BUT COULD NOT HOLD HDG OR CLB AS DIRECTED. INSTEAD; I FOUND MYSELF WRESTLING THE STICK TO MAKE THE ACFT GO WHERE ATC DIRECTED. AT THE SAME TIME; THE PNF STRUGGLED WITH TRYING TO RE-SET ALL THE INSTS SO THAT WE COULD USE THEM AS DESIRED. WE HAD TO CLB THROUGH A LAYER AND WERE VFR ON TOP; WITH ATC GIVING US INSTRUCTIONS AND ATTEMPTING TO WORK WITH US AS WE PORPOISED AROUND THE SKY. IT SEEMED AS THOUGH THERE WERE SEVERAL SYSTEMS COMPETING WITH EACH OTHER. WHILE WE WERE NOT IN CROWDED AIRSPACE AND WERE UNDER ATC CTL; THE RAMIFICATIONS OF STRAYING OFF COURSE AND ALT ARE OBVIOUS. HAD ATC NEEDED US TO BE MORE TIGHTLY CTLED; WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN A POSITION TO BE SO AND INCREASED THEIR WORKLOAD AS A RESULT. ATC APPEARED TO BE MUCH CALMER ABOUT OUR EXCURSIONS THAN I WAS; PATIENTLY REDIRECTING US AS WE EXPLAINED WE WERE EXPERIENCING SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. IT TURNED OUT THAT ONE INST I DIDN'T EXPECT WAS OVERRIDING THE SETTINGS FOR THE OTHERS AND PREVENTING THEM FROM PROVIDING INPUT. ONCE THAT WAS DISCOVERED AND CORRECTED; THE REST OF THE FLT PROCEEDED WITH LESS EXCITEMENT. LESSONS LEARNED: KNOW THE DEFAULT OR FALL-BACK POSITION FOR THE INSTS. I COULD HAVE PULLED THE AUTOPLT CIRCUIT BREAKER WHILE VFR ON TOP TO SIMPLY HAND FLY THE ACFT UNTIL I HAD A BETTER SENSE OF WHICH INSTS WERE SET INCORRECTLY. INSTEAD; I STUBBORNLY PRESSED ON. I WILL CREATE REVIEW OR SUMMARY SHEETS FOR INST SETTINGS TO REMIND MYSELF OF HOW I WANT THEM SET UP WHEN I FLY. THIS WAY; I WON'T HAVE TO GUESS THAT EFIS IS SELECTED AND COUPLED TO AUTOPLT WHILE GPS IS SECONDARY. MORE IMPORTANTLY; REVIEWING JUST BRIEF AMOUNTS OF INFO ABOUT A PARTICULAR INST SEEMS TO TRIGGER MEMORIES OF SOME OF ITS OTHER CHARACTERISTICS. I HAVE LEARNED THE LESSON OF 'DON'T PUSH THE BUTTON OR FLIP THE SWITCH UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN.' DON'T GUESS AT THE EXPECTED RESULT BECAUSE YOU MAY BE UNPLEASANTLY SURPRISED.