Originally Posted by
PotatoChip
Autopilot kicked off on the CRJ once at 34,000; airplane instantly became inverted and uncontrollable until the captain managed to select the a/p back on. Scariest 16 seconds of my life.
CRJ operators commonly require AP use much above F180 or F200. It can be flown by hand, and if the AP is deferred you can do it up to RVSM space. But it's a little mushy, and if you were near the operational ceiling for the weight and conditions you could put it behind the power curve by over-controlling and creating too much drag. That has more to do with being under-powered than with control-ability.