Something Odd with Direct-To command and some other stuff

[jaba-who]

Have had my sky view HDX with knob panel and Auto Pilot panel installed for maybe 18 months or so.
Till now I have had the AP set up in simple mode and no problems.
Yesterday decided to step it up to Expert mode. Did that OK.

Now notice a couple of things:

1. When I press direct to command the destination is correctly at the far end of the magenta line but oddly the start point if the magenta line is not at the aircraft. It is a few miles ( not exactly same each time) in the vague direction of the destination. Sometimes it’s directly in the direction of the destination and sometimes it’s a few miles about 45degrees off the target.
Tried to find why it’s doing that and how to get it to start from the position I am when I hit Direct To but can’t find it in the manuals.
Anyone have any ideas ?

2. Second Problem is pretty dramatic. sometimes, not always, when I set the bug (even if it’s near straight ahead ) then hit the AP on button and let the AP fly it, it does a fairly immediate and steep bank turn (usually to the left) and flies basically a circle ( this is not a 180 degree type turn, this a steep bank and it keeps going through 180 degrees). Usually starts to tighten up the turn and despite hanging on for as long as my courage will let I’ve had to abort it at about 270 degrees of turn. So I don’t know if it would have rolled out on the final heading or just kept going in the diving turn.


Something to add is that I’m in Australia and using the Ozrunways maps and a third party terrain and airfields data base. But this set of maps and data seems to be fine in the simple mode. only got the problems when I activated the expert mode.

Oh one other thing - where is the auto 180 degree turn button in the Expert mode.?

 

[skysailor]

There is no 180 degree turn button in Expert Mode.

 

[airguy]

For point #1, if your aircraft is not already pointed directly at the "direct-to" target, then Skyview knows the airplane will have to perform a turn to get to the correct heading. It will offset the starting point of the direct-to route by a calculated distance based on your speed to allow the airplane that much distance to turn onto and lock onto the new path.

Play with it a bit and you'll see what I mean - point the airplane almost directly at an airport and set direct to that airport - and the start point will be where you are. Now choose one 90 degrees off your path and do it again - you'll see the offset and the airplane will turn onto that path and follow it.

 

[jaba-who]

I wouldn't think this is just the issue or if it is, it’s a real fault in the design intention or coding. Just to make clear, at the time I am manually flying not on AP on Nav Steering mode so it’s not relying on a slow Nav turn.

The start point of the magenta line is up to about 3 or 4 miles away from current location and at the speed I’m going I’d have to change direction and fly straight and level for at least 2 or 3 of them and then do a very slow turn to meet the end of the magenta line. Normal banking turns don’t require 4 mile arcs.
If I conducted even a gentle turn from my actual start location I will turn well inside a line to the magenta start point. I will never meet the end of the line.

Even when I’m flying straight at the target the start point is away from the aircraft ( both in distance and sometimes a little in direction). If I’m heading toward target when I press the “go to” it’s much closer in line to the target but sometimes still up to a maybe half mile off to one side. The start point is much closer to the aircraft as well but still not at the aircraft like I get when I was using the simple mode.

If it is meant to be this way, is there any way to change the distance from current position it starts the magenta line?