Which autopilot mode should be used in turbulence to maintain stability?

• A. Altitude hold
• B. Attitude hold
• C. Heading hold
• D. Vertical speed hold

Answer: (B)

In turbulence, stability comes from keeping the aircraft’s attitude steady rather than trying to hold a specific altitude, speed, or heading. Attitude hold is the autopilot mode that locks in the aircraft’s current pitch and roll (its attitude) and then works to keep those angles constant. By focusing on maintaining the wings level and the nose at a steady angle, the airplane absorbs gusts instead of chasing them.

If you use altitude hold, the autopilot tries to maintain a set altitude. Gusts push the airplane up or down, and the system responds by pitching to re-center altitude. That can amplify vertical motion and create an oscillating ride. Similarly, vertical speed hold aims for a fixed climb or descent rate, which can cause the autopilot to overreact to gusts and introduce larger altitude fluctuations. Heading hold concentrates on keeping the flight path’s direction, but turbulence often causes changes in bank and pitch that heading control doesn’t directly stabilize.

Attitude hold minimizes body-axis motion during turbulence, providing a smoother, more stable flight by letting the aircraft’s attitude remain as steady as possible while the autopilot and the airframe dampen the gusts.