Booker

Have you been working on this reply for the last six months? Get over what, exactly? If my Company tells me I must do something, yes, I think I need a reason not to do it.

If that's directed at me, I never stated otherwise. My Company's policies are more restrictive than the FAR in this instance.

Groundhog

Obviously you're not a pilot, so let me explain.
Usually a person chooses this career because they love to fly. By fly, I don't mean pushing the A/P button and traveling from city to city. I mean actually controlling the aircraft as it is making its way across the sky.
Most of us learned to fly in airplanes that did not have A/Ps. All of us had to demonstrate the ability to climb, cruise and descend while maintaining precise control of airspeed and heading.
Flying an airplane up to altitude and leveling off at cruise is no big deal. Clicking the autopilot off at altitude and controlling the descent to make the crossing restriction and airspeed can keep you working. Cruise? Maybe for a short while to check the trim.
Bottom line, I try to hand fly the airplane as much as possible because it makes me a better pilot. I have a better understanding of the characteristics of the airplane in all airspeeds and configurations while continuing to maintain my scan.
I don't turn the A/P off in every situation. Depending on weather, traffic, cockpit workload, and my physical state, the A/P stays on. But whenever possible, I leave it off. Usually the only time I ever see a no-autopilot situation is in a PC. But that's not to say that it won't happen on an actual flight. In either case, I will be prepared. And you won't be able to tell from your seat in the back that the A/P is off.
As far as our FOM goes, it says the A/P "should" be on in RVSM altitudes. It is not an absolute. If I hand fly above FL290, I clear it with the Captain. I will usually try to click it off for descents and approach, depending on the situation.

Now, if you really are a pilot, and all you've ever done is click on the A/P at 1000' on departure and clicked it off at 200' on approach, please let me know, so I can stay the hell away from you.

Hog

Vykus

Whether the autopilot should be on is based on the AFM Supplement that certified the aircraft.

dapper993

AC 91-85 states:

"An automatic altitude-control system should be operative and engaged during level cruise, except when circumstances such as the need to retrim the aircraft or turbulence require disengagement. In any event, adherence to cruise altitude should be done by reference to one of the two primary altimeters;"

Most POIs will interpret should as shall and will Approve the RVSM ops manual accordingly. At the end of the day it will depend on what your POI or FSDO approves and what your Operations manual states in its procedures section which is required regardless of what FAR you operate under. This is how you are approved to fly the aircraft.

At our operation I made it mandatory on all part 91 aircraft and 135 aircraft that the aircraft be flown on autopilot in the transition and while in RVSM but thats just us.

islandbound5

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N9373M

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SVA402

Another consideration here is the definition of "level change." I would define that as a change in flight levels during established cruise. So to me that means I can hand fly up to cruise altitude and down from it. Perhaps there is a clearer definition of level change somewhere.

dapper993

SVA I am not sure if your post was in response to mine. But AC states Level CRUISE. I would agree that level change is a change in alt.