How many Autopilots are required for RVSM?

How many Autopilots are required for RVSM?

• A. 0
• B. 2
• C. 1
• D. 3

Answer: (C)

RVSM relies on redundancy in altitude-keeping so the aircraft can maintain precise flight levels even if one system has a fault. The key is having two independent altitude-keeping pathways (and two independent air data sources) feeding the altitude control, so the airplane can stay within RVSM tolerances. A single autopilot can carry out the altitude-holding function provided the airplane has those two independent input sources and the system can fail over to the alternate source if needed. So the minimum requirement is one autopilot channel, while many airplanes actually have dual autopilots for extra redundancy.

RVSM relies on redundancy in altitude-keeping so the aircraft can maintain precise flight levels even if one system has a fault. The key is having two independent altitude-keeping pathways (and two independent air data sources) feeding the altitude control, so the airplane can stay within RVSM tolerances. A single autopilot can carry out the altitude-holding function provided the airplane has those two independent input sources and the system can fail over to the alternate source if needed. So the minimum requirement is one autopilot channel, while many airplanes actually have dual autopilots for extra redundancy.