While there have been beneficial autopilot performance improvements in 26.1, I have noticed several new issues introduced with this update that have affected my experience. This may sound like unnecessary criticism, but please hear me out.
- Vertical Speed Changes During VNAV Descent
When descending using VNAV, the aircraft tends to level off upon reaching the target altitude, but then immediately pitches down again after passing the waypoint toward the next assigned altitude. While I understand this is how VNAV is designed to function, the transitions between vertical speed adjustments now feel noticeably less smooth compared to previous versions. With the previous version maintaining a smooth transition, rather than levelling off and pitching down again.
- Excessive Pitch Changes When Retracting/Deploying Flaps
During takeoff or landing, when operating the flaps, the aircraft now makes aggressive pitch adjustments upward or downward to compensate, even when flaps are deployed or retracted within the correct speed ranges. This behavior was not present prior to the 26.1 update.
- LNAV Heading Select Issue
I have also noticed that particularly during approach or landing, disengaging LNAV can sometimes cause the aircraft to unexpectedly turn toward a previously assigned heading instead of maintaining its current heading. This suggests the heading selector may not always update correctly to the aircraft’s present heading upon LNAV disengagement. This issue has negatively affected several of my landings since the update.