First Flight with the STEC 3100/TEST Pilot!!
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- Опубліковано 21 сер 2024
- I flew from the Chicago area down to Dallas (DFW) on an airliner and my friend, Jeff Alexander, met me there in his Beechcraft Baron 58P to give me a lift over to Mineral Wells, Texas. The following morning I met Simpson and Chad for the test flight with the new Genesys/STEC 3100. I love my new autopilot!!!
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For more information on the autopilot: stec3100.genes...
This video is for entertainment purposes only and is not intended as instruction in any way. For instruction please contact your local flight school.
This video does not represent the views of the FAA.
“Rollercoaster days are over”, lol... Looks like it works nicely. It’s nice to work with people that know what they are doing...
It sure is Niko and the guys at STEC really do know what they are doing. After coming back from Sun n Fun, we have about 15 hours flying with it and she's been perfect. It was really great to hang out with you down in Lakeland. Stay safe up there in your beautiful SR22T. :)
As a fellow 310 pilot, I like that it can mitigate the pitch up effect when flaps are deployed. Looks like a nice new toy that will make trips safer and easier.
SMOOTH AS BUTTER! Can imagine you are stoked on this AP and no doubt opens up doors for a more comfortable IFR flight. Keep up the great work STEC!
It really is Ryan...she's smoother than me! I flew back from Sun n Fun dodging weather and ended up needing a pop-up IFR to complete the flight and it was so much easier with the 3100 flying while I'm able to tend to all the other things. :)
Wow! It really has a lot of features! These modern autopilots make a great safe traveling platform. I love the "LEVEL" button option for emergencies. Will have to add that call out on your emergency procedures sheet. As with any new toy, you just need some good seat time practicing the "switchology" on a daily basis so it becomes second nature. Well done Kevin! I am really excited to see your upcoming trips while you get to work out the functions. Congrats!
Kevin and Jamie, I'm not a pilot nor a controller just a fan. I came across your channel and I have bbeen watching it ever since. I've been binge watching when I can to try to catch up from the very first episode. I grew up in sugar Grove in the shadows of the airport that's what caught my attention when I saw your guys's channel for the first time. One of my best friends growing up father was a controller at the O'Hare control center in Aurora. That friend is now a pilot for Southwest. also my best friend's little sister is a pilot for Delta I believe in California as well as her husband. I'm impressed by how the two of you work together within the plane. You two seem to have a great relationship and it comes through through your channel you have a beautiful family and you two make a beautiful couple. Travel safe. I'll be watching.
Awesome video! Seriously, one of your most interesting videos to watch where Jaime is not with you :) Compliments to STEC and the apparently great equipment. Also great they featured themselves in your video!
Every time you turn around they come up with something new. But this is a game changer. My goodness. Thanks.
No more hand flying IMC and VFR on your Bahama's 2 trip. I am having a ball following the adventures of Kevin and Jaime. Thank you for all the hard work you do to share with us. Take Care.
Now that is the BOSS. That is so cool. Happy for you Kevin. be safe!
Always a good day when u drop a video bro! Great to see the new upgrades worked out
Glad you enjoyed it Andrew! Hope to be back on track with regular updates for a while. :)
Good folks at STEC. Chad has been a great help in tweeting the 3100 in my 66 V35. Hope you were able to soak up some southern hospitality while you were in MWL. No go enjoy some sweet hands off flying.
The STEC guys have been absolutely amazing to work with. Chad did a great job tweaking the 310's gains as well. :) I enjoyed everyone's help down in TX and then as soon as I got her back home we loaded up for Sun n Fun and got a little more down south time. :)
Congratulations on such a sweet upgrade! I was very impressed with the Unusual Attitude Recovery. You're giving us twin guys a lot to consider with your panel!
Thank you Jason...I'm like a kid on Christmas morning each time I fire her up. We have about 15 hours flying behind it and it really is an amazing piece of equipment. The STEC guys are really great people and want nothing more than to continue their legacy as having the best GA retrofit autopilot on the market. I have a link in the description to get more information on it if you are interested. In the mean time, fly safe. :)
@@310Pilot I just told my wife at dinner that I was going to contact the guys at Genesys for an upgrade. Apparently I owe her some red bottom shoes... Sounds like a fair trade! :)
Thanks Kevin, that panel and feature set is awesome, lots to get familiar with. Look forward to watching you guys do a big trip with the AP cheers from Aussie :)
Thanks Paul...loving all the new safety features she adds to the 310! Lots of big trips coming soon. :)
Been too long since your last post 😛... looking forward to new panel tour!! Flying will never be the same again with the new sweet AP!
Sorry for the delay Mark! Been busy the last 2 weeks but hope to be back to weekly updates. :) It's a game changer for sure!
Now you're ready to fly busy space in low IMC. THAT IS A BEAUTIFUL PANEL!
Thank you dabuya! Much more comfortable now with continued IMC and lower approaches. :)
Ok, your work is done! The auto is now taking over! Takes the fun out of it, huh? Very impressive flight! Thanks for letting me fly and observe. Tell Jaimie hi.
Bravissimo come sempre in tutti i voli che fa.e una sicurezza.
That was a lot to take in but an amazing piece of kit! I expect you are looking forward to longer trips where you can really make it work for you. I love the idea that you were able to tumble his gimble! I have missed not having a video from you on a Friday Kevin. Mine go out at 7.30am UK local and I always look forward to yours later that day. I had also missed out on the fact that you have an Instagram page but following you there as well now. Thanks, as always, for posting.
You’ve really done a great job with the upgrades and made that a premier 310! I look forward to catching up with you and Jamie some weekend and not just talking to you on 133.5!
Getting schooled on the new avionics. Old school learning by doing! Love it!! No substitute for an instructor that knows his/her stuff!
Chad was a great teacher of the new autopilot. After that one hour flight I was good to go to depart back to Chicago and the flight was very relaxing. :)
WOW ! thats all I know to say. I was right with you and Chad up to " if you hit AT on right now".......... yeh after that I was pretty much watchin' the scenery . But Man it looks like a sweet upgrade!! I'm just glad I don't have to tell anyone how it works!! Thanks for the ride.
Ha ha...glad you enjoyed it Tom! This autopilot is really amazing. After about 15 hours flying with it I can probably do a fair job explaining it all but probably will never be on Chad's level. :)
Nothing like new toys! Congratulations on the new equipment and now you have another reason to go fly. Proficiency time. Keep'em coming.
That AP is AWESOME, wish I had one back in the day. 🥰
Yes, no more single pilot IMC without a good AP! I have the older 3100 in the Mooney tied with the 530 as well. Like the new interface much better...enjoy and fly safe!
Kevin it was great of the guys to let you film the test flight. Great video and some free advertisement for them too! Keep em coming. Enjoy the new tech.
That system is incredible looks like money well spent!
I was worried that you were gonna stall about 20 minutes in...Was a relief when the nose pitched downward...All is well!
Very cool but not sure how much of the RNAV "line up and land" feature you may use, but I was thinking... does Jamie know how to fly? If not, the cool part about the 3100 is "if" something happened to where you couldn't fly (I pray not), then Jamie could use RNAV to land it. You could put together a simple emergency checklist for her on how to setup the RNAV, when to adjust speed, when to lower gear, flaps, etc. I know it's not something anyone wants to think about, but part of being a pilot is being prepared (at 20 years, I'm sure you know this [wink]). A pilot friend of mine did this for his Wife when he got his Garmin GTN 750. He said the landing wouldn't be real soft, but everyone would live. Just an idea. Great video and thanks much for sharing (the steep turn would have freaked me out LOL).
Glad to see your new autopilot function and tested out. Really enjoyed this video!!! LOOK MA, NO HANDS! I know Jaime and you will both reap rewards using this new and reliable system! Thanks again for posting!!
Glad you liked it Don! I forgot the no hands comment...should have worked that in. :) We are both really loving it. I have more time to discuss things with her, make a plan with upcoming weather, not be fatigued, added safety... Lot's to love. :)
@@310Pilot Can't wait to see you and Jaime videos from Sun 'n Fun!
Great video as always! Congrats on the awesome AP addition. I'm sure it makes a huge difference.
Worth the wait Kevin. Thanks for the ride!!
The instrument panel is starting to look way too cool. Congratulations !!! ;0)
Thank you!! I'm very happy with how she's coming along. This autopilot is by far my favorite upgrade so far!!
YAHOO!!!! I'm happy for ya. Enjoy and have fun. My best to your family.
Thanks Gord! We are really excited about this upgrade. :)
You're going to have loads of fun with that for sure! Impressive kit!
Another great video Kevin, very educational on your new auto pilot, great addition for your plane, I’m sure your going to enjoy it. I received a nice hoodie, tee shirt and coffee mug from your merchandise website, very nice, tell Jaime she did great on the design, looking forward to flying with you !!
Thank you for the support Dennis...I'll let Jaime know! Glad it all turned out well for you. We are liking our gear from there as well. :)
Wow, talk about an upgrade. What an amazing piece of technology. Congrats. Look forward to riding along as you get comfortable with it.
Thanks Arch...I agree, it is truly amazing. Really changes the way I've been flying for the last 20 years. :)
great smooth flight its great watching the footage on my large tv through apple imac hdmi the takeoffs are so good to watch mate
CONGRATULATIONS Kevin - that system is AMAZING! 🍻 Was great to watch your nose attitude as flaps were engaged, then disengaged - autopilot compensated for all of it pretty quickly. The unusual attitude recovery feature was even more amazing! What at great system! Very impressive.
Hopefully that's your last time flying commercial for a very long time. 😁
Thanks for sharing, Kevin!👍👍
Thank you Smitty!! I've never been more excited for an upgrade as I am about this. It's a real game changer for us. I had heard about the flap compensator but had no idea it would do that well. I'm with you in hoping that is my last commercial flight in a loooong time. :)
A very impressive upgrade. The strait and level mode is a great safety feature. Thanks for the ride.
Glad you enjoyed it Karl! Our safety level just went up tremendously and my fatigue level went all the way down. :)
Very nice! Sweet panel! Looking forward to some more amazing trips with you!
Man I have missed that hum! I could never be a pilot because that hum would relax me right too sleep. For some reason that hum of those engines gives my ears an alternate sound to this darn tinnitus.
Works well, you won't know your self!! I'm looking forward to seeing a trip now!
That was impressive the way the auto-pilot handled the airplane. Thanks for sharing an awesome ride!!
Very impressive indeed. I couldn't be happier with it! Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Kevin, I must say the new panel layout looks brilliant and after watching the video, it appears that it will make such an amazing difference to your regular flying routine. Will be really interesting to watch you using it on future videos and over time, explaining all the benefits, to non-pilots like myself !
Very nice auto pilot. It seems to satisfy your requirements. I was not able to comprehend all of the functions but I am not flying your airplane. I am sure the more familiar you become with the system, the easier it will to be to operate. Good luck with the new A/P and have A safe flight back to Aurora!
You're in good hands with these guys, thanks for sharing.
You're welcome Terry! Those guys are awesome to work with. :)
that panel is looking pretty awesome
Thanks Chris...we are excited with how she's coming around. :) Up next is to modernize the 20 year old GPS's. :)
You were grinning like a kid with a new bike, priceless....
Ha ha...I've never been so excited about an upgrade before. Like a kid on Christmas! :)
Great teacher, great student and a great STEC 3100/Test Pilot, very nice.
Glad you thought so! It's by far my favorite upgrade!
@@310Pilot Absolutely, I enjoyed watching the AP do the work and the extra window view of a close up of the gauges. Very nice, I wish I was your neighbor so I could go flying, lol. Thanks buddy, stay safe and happy flying.
Panel done, awesome autopilot, now you'll be able to climb in back and take a nap with your wife on those long trips. That autopilot is great.
Ha ha...I can't climb in the back...I'll miss all the amazing views from the front. :) This thing is really amazing. I'm 15 hours in operating with it and couldn't be happier.
@@310Pilot I'm flying with a GFC 700, which from what you show, behaves pretty similarly and I am amazed at what they can do and how reliable they really are. I got my IR with the GFC 700 in a Cirrus, and it is great. ( The DPE made me fly pretty much the whole ride under the hood by hand other than one coupled approach required by the ACS and about 20 seconds on AP while I jotted down the atis). Just don't forget make sure the CDI is in the correct mode, burned me today doing an approach with my instructor. I said "what the heck is wrong with this autopilot?" as it was zigging and zagging trying to follow the loc back course instead of the gps as we were heading home. He said "the problem is not the AP". Operator error......
Congratulations on the excellent upgrade! That's going to make long distance trips so much easier to manage and enjoy. Very nice integration of your friend's video from the Baron as an intro to the video. It really helped set the stage for the event. Nice planning ahead!
Awesome...thanks for the feedback! We've done some long flights over the last 2 weeks and it has been incredibly helpful, safe and less fatiguing. Love when a plane comes together. :)
What a great video, bringing us into this moment and seeing all of the items worked out. Been waiting for this one. Thanks for posting
Thank you...glad you enjoyed it! I try to document best I can all things involved with owning and flying. :)
No wonder you're just loving the STEC 3100 especially how smooth it responds. Happy Landings!
You got your autopilot - I got my 310 Pilot t-shirt this week. Can't get much better for either of us!
Ha ha...thank you for your support! Hope the shirt turned out okay. I have a hoodie on right now from there. :)
Great video Kevin, very interesting. Great new AP, enjoy the 3100 and fly safe ! 🇺🇸🛫
Great landing by the way!
WOW that was great. It looked very easy to operate. Best of luck with it.
Glad you enjoyed it Bob! It's very easy/intuitive to use....we are loving it. :)
Yep, nice shot of the Bell Jet Ranger fly by. Congrats on the new avionics in the family Kevin.
Thank you David! We are loving this new autopilot! That was a neat shot as he wizzed right by. :)
Very nice! You're going to love it, I'm sure. At least half the workload is now complete. The Air-Tractors on floats were pretty impressive as well.
Thanks Wayne! I have about 15 hours flying behind it now and I'm super impressed. Safety went way up and workload went way down. :) I've never seen Air-Tractors on floats before. Those look like a lot of fun!
Great video. Congratulations on the new equipment. May it serve you well for many years. Looking forward to more videos with the new toys. ✈️
Woop woop! We are wheels up today!!!! Hope you and your "co-pilot" are awesome!
Kevin-- you look like a kid in a candy store with your new equipment. Your panel really looks great with the upgrade. Enjoy and thanks for sharing from Cajun Country!!
It's like Christmas morning every time I fire her up now. Loving how the autopilot has transformed this old bird! :)
Extremely cool. Can't wait to see you do your first few approaches on your own. Hook us up with some closeups of the panel as the AP is doing it's thing, capturing glidepaths, etc. Congrats on the new gear! Your buddy's panel was pretty slick too!
Thanks Larry! I have a new camera and just working on where to mount it for the best views for future flying. I'll make sure to work that out. :)
Rollercoaster no more YEA! Your good student quality shined thru there bud, proud of ya. In your next VLOGb we all want hear Mrs 310 opinion.
Thanks Greg! The next video is me flying it back home. But the one after Jaime and I head down to Sun n Fun so you'll get to hear some of that. :)
Yep. Awesome, Awesome and Awesome!!! Thinking J might b liking the new ride!!! 👍👍👍
She loves it! I now have more time to talk with her. :)
Wahooo happy days ahead, well done Kevin and all those involved, now you'll have to start back at the gym as all those arm muscles won't be getting any work out from here on in....great video as always ...safe flying my friend from me in the UK
Congratulations on the upgrade, I know you will enjoy the added capabilities.
Thank you!! I'm loving it more and more each flight. :)
Congrats on getting the new autopilot.
Man, Kevin I bet you're going to enjoy the heck out of that STEC 3100! I know I would! Fun video and flight! Thanks for sharing and I'm sure Jaime is going to appreciate that new autopilot system!
It's nice having that added comfort not to mention convenience and safety features! That helicopter was pretty darn close as it went by.
Would the new system have broke off the closure with it at some point?
Big congrats and enjoy your new autopilot Kevin & Happy flying!
Thank you Don!! We are both super excited about our new autopilot. You nailed it about the convenience and safety features...it's a really big deal with single pilot IFR flying. If you have a traffic conflict, you still have to tell the autopilot how to avoid the traffic but they've made that very easy with the CWS button. :)
@@310Pilot Thanks Kevin! I asked a question below but then went and googled cws to find out and save you the time answering that! I'll leave what I wrote but that CWS is cool! Google said the following: "STEC autopilot installed - CWSstands for Control Wheel Steering - basically it allows you to set a pitch attitude / turn rate using the yoke, which the autopilot will then maintain until instructed to do otherwise."
So no need to answer my question sorry!
I'm not a pilot but have always been fascinated by the navigation and IFR tech skills, and love flying. I dont know what the CWS button is and its function, maybe I missed it in your video? Sorry for taking up your time by asking but how does that feature work?
The skills and knowledge required to fly IFR amaze me, to the point of even wanting to start flying flight sims again to teach myself how to the degree a cheap flight sim can anyway. But I can afford unlimited gas and maintenance with a flight sim so that's my option lol.
The way your plane flew so precise precision or standard turns (not sure of exact term) as is required for ifr was amazing.
Thank you for your reply Kevin! I'm looking forward to your upcoming videos as much as you are to flying them!
Sweet upgrade! Missed seeing your flight vlogs!
Glad you enjoyed it Tim...we for sure are! :) We should be back to weekly updates hopefully. :)
I dont know how the hell you gonna remember all that, but It sure works nice!
Dude that new autopilot is so smooth! Start serving snacks and drinks and you ready for service. LOL
During the approach on autopilot into Mineral Wells it felt as if there was a third pilot flying the plane :)
Nice......
Simpson is a very unknowledgeable guy - builds confidence in the product the way he knows it so well.
I agree Robert....it is so freaking cool to watch that thing fly the approach with precision. I've flown 4 or 5 of them now and it makes me smile every time. Both Simpson and Chad are incredibly knowledgable and really great guys to work with. I've been very impressed. :)
Thanks for the video Kevin. Can’t wait for my S-TEC!
Kevin, awesome autopilot! There is no doubt your going to really enjoy it forward. Now I understand why you went to Texas to have it installed. Your installers did an excellent job of installation & calibration! It was right on! Thanks for sharing! Don
Glad you enjoyed it Don! I have about 15 hours now flying with it and it's been some of the best 15 hours ever. My safety is way up and the workload is way down. Now I don't feel fatigued after long flights. :) They did an amazing job with this.
Kevin, I’m happy for you and so jealous too. I could see that very satisfied grin we use to get at Christmas when we were all kids on your face after you landed. I bet you just sold a lot of auto pilots for these guys, installation seem quick too especially compared to what I’m use to. Thanks for sharing this with us. I’m gonna use it to hopefully convince my wife that we need that auto pilot too. Chuck
You're welcome Chuck...for sharing and helping you spend your money. :) Honestly, this autopilot is amazing...from a safety and workload standpoint. You'll see in the upcoming videos as I keep flying with her how incredibly capable she is. I'm at 15 hours now and looking forward to the next 1500. :)
That’s freakin’ cool Kevin!!!! Love the technical stuff.
Glad you enjoyed it Christopher!
This was interesting!
Looking forward to an STC for my Arrow! I like the safety features compared with my STEC 60. Thanks for the "ride-along"!!
Jim, it will be worth the wait. Especially considering their upgrade package with your existing STEC!!
Awesome video, thanks Kevin! What a wonderful new toy. Fly safe mate. Looking forward to your new adventures as we head into winter down here :(
Glad you enjoyed it Mark! Sorry for you guys but you can have the winter....we took it for long enough this year!! :)
Fair enough. At least we don't get as cold as you guys.
I've been waiting to see how the upgrades turned out. Nice!!
Glad you enjoyed it Randy! We should be back to regular updates now. :)
Hey - this AP guy is good , both of them actually ! I have a time just missing the trees at the end .
You’re finally back. Great video as usually 👍👍👍👍👍
Thank you George...glad you enjoyed it!
Money can't buy happiness...but a working autopilot can ☺
Kevin, hope Jamie is OK with the new woman in your life ! Great video.
sounds like a fourteen year old!
Mike, I think she is loving her as much as I am. :)
Wow Kevin that was some serious stuff in this video , you have the cats meow of ap.
I sure do...loving it! :)
Great tutorial! Thanks so much for sharing this!
Awesome upgrades to the 310.... Great vid o as usual. Glad to hear that “G” on your hat is for UGA! Go DAWGS!
Thank you Patrick! Go Dawgs!!
You should try to upgrade the voice to your wife's voice
Oh yeah baby !! That would be epic.....
Ha ha...I will have to look into that. :)
@@310Pilot Don't do it, bro. Think about it. "Kevin, you're high. Kevin, you're too fast. Airspeed, Airspeed, Airspeed. Kevin, take out the trash."
@@wntu4 Took the words right out of my mouth!
@@wntu4 ROFL!
I've been looking forward to this one. The panel is looking good! Looks like the autopilot works great.
Sorry to keep you waiting Michael...been a busy couple of weeks. The autopilot has been amazing and it treating us quite well. :)
@@310Pilot It's all good. The autopilot is a nice add and I like the panel layout. A little old school, a little sparkly stuff :) I think busy is normal. The last two weeks have gone by quick for me. Fly safe. Best wishes for a fantastic 2019 and beyond.
Kevin my husband says your workload will improve drastcailly with that new autopilot. Especially in IFR conditions in Class B air space.
He sure is right Bonnie! I have about 15 hours flying with it now and it has reduced my workload drastically. Added bonus is now I'm not fatigued after a long flight. :)
@@310Pilot That bonus is the real plus of that 3100. That's why he love's the TBM. Now if we only can get Fadec on board. How simplier the life of flying can be. Oh darn them Socata folks they just put out Fadec on the new 940. I can't wait to see if Michael is going to ask me if we can spend more money on that modification. Hmmm... Sic them Uga!
@@310Pilot I think that's a hugely underappreciated benefit of an autopilot: it makes my landings better after a long flight, because I'm still fresh! Also I fly in busy Class B a lot and the autopilot really frees you up to keep your eyes outside the aircraft, where they need to be. You are going to LOVE that thing.
Amazing tech you got there Kevin, hope you have lots of fun testing it :) Great to have you back, looking forward to your next adventure :)
Glad you enjoyed it Rab! The next flight is our Sun n Fun adventure down in Florida. The autopilot came in handy for all of it! :)
@@310Pilot Can't wait to see that :)
Awesome panel upgrade. Now you can be bored on the long trips. Congratulations gotta be a sweet feeling.
Thank you! I'm a fan of being bored now...I don't feel fatigued at all after really long flights where before after hand flying for several hours I was. :)
@@310Pilot Understand totally I use mine all the time.
Kevin, great part #3. I enjoyed watching.
Glad you enjoyed it Robert!!
We always enjoy your excellent videos TY
You're welcome Jack...glad you're enjoying them. :)
😃😎 Great video as usual. Thanks. Safe flying!
Glad you enjoyed it! :)
I have been waiting weeks for this vid! LOL. another great one.
Kevin,
No matter how comfortable you get with your new AP, remember only Jamie gets to relax in back during flight. 😄
Ha ha...I'll stick to that Ken! I wouldn't want to miss the scenery from above anyway. :)
Nice upgrade brother......that new autopilot does just about everything.....now on long trips you can set that baby and smooch with the mrs. lol. Always enjoy the videos thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it Jim! This new autopilot really does do just about everything except the throttles. I'm okay with that as I need something to do on the flights. :)
So awesome, congrats on such a great upgrade!
Thanks Mike...we are loving it!