Sobre se você pode ou não voar com um piloto automático inoperante, dê uma olhada no §91.180:
§91.180 Operations within airspace designated as Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum airspace.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, no person may operate a civil aircraft in airspace designated as Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) airspace unless:
- The operator and the operator's aircraft comply with the minimum standards of appendix G of this part; and
- The operator is authorized by the Administrator or the country of registry to conduct such operations.
(b) The Administrator may authorize a deviation from the requirements of this section.
Você também não pode dizer que sua aeronave está autorizada a operar em espaço aéreo RVSM:
Section 4. RVSM Operations
(a) Each person requesting a clearance to operate within RVSM airspace shall correctly annotate the flight plan filed with air traffic control with the status of the operator and aircraft with regard to RVSM approval. Each operator shall verify RVSM applicability for the flight planned route through the appropriate flight planning information sources.
(b) No person may show, on the flight plan filed with air traffic control, an operator or aircraft as approved for RVSM operations, or operate on a route or in an area where RVSM approval is required, unless:
The operator is authorized by the Administrator to perform such operations; and
The aircraft has been approved and complies with the requirements of Section 2 of this appendix.
Se não estiver operacional, a aeronave deixa de ser uma qualidade para RVSM e, portanto, deve ser fornecida com separação vertical de 2000 pés (em cada sentido) entre outras aeronaves. Alternativamente, o ATC pode recusar a entrada no espaço aéreo RVSM.
Em relação ao engajamento automático, Apêndice 4 do AC 91-85 , Seção "5. Procedimentos em vôo" declara:
e. 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;