GFC 600-style autopilot

The GFC 600-style mode controller: a charcoal faceplate with a mode display (lateral mode, AP / YD, vertical mode with its target, armed modes), the mode keys and the NOSE wheel. Drives the simulator's autopilot.

Modeled on: Garmin GFC 600-style autopilot (GMC 605 mode controller)
Category: Autopilots
Size: 2 × 1 cells
Version: 1.0 · 2026-10-19
Plan: Pro
Simulators: MSFS 2020 · MSFS 2024 · X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12

Features

Mode display: lateral mode (ROL, HDG, GPS, VOR, LOC, BC, LVL), AP and YD, vertical mode (PIT, ALT with its held altitude, VS with the target, IAS with the speed, GS)
Armed modes in white (ALTS, GS)
ALT holds the selected altitude if captured within 200 ft, else the current altitude to 10 ft
Keys: AP, FD, YD, HDG, NAV, APR, BC, VNV, IAS, VS, LVL (blue ring), ALT; green bar lit when active
NOSE UP / DN wheel: vertical speed, speed or pitch
Display blank unless AP or FD is on
At night the faceplate, keys and knobs take the red flood light while the display keeps its own colors, dimmed; the glareshield's warm light falls on the faceplate too when its dimmer is up (Settings > Dimmers > Glareshield, off by default)
The display goes dark when the aircraft's avionics power is off

On the iPad

Tap a mode key to toggle it
Drag the NOSE wheel up or down (down = nose up)

Keys and controllers

Map any of these to a key, a game controller's button or axis, or a MIDI knob (how):

Autopilot AP
Autopilot FD
Autopilot YD
Autopilot HDG
Autopilot NAV
Autopilot APR
Autopilot BC
Autopilot ALT
Autopilot VS
Autopilot FLC
Autopilot LVL
Autopilot UP / DN +
Autopilot UP / DN -
Altitude +
Altitude -
Altitude sync

Simulator data

What the Hub reads from the simulator for this instrument, and what the instrument sends back. Names are the simulators' own: MSFS SimVars and events, X-Plane datarefs and commands.

Reads

Value	MSFS	X-Plane
Autopilot modes, one bit each (ApBit: ap, fd, yd, hdg, nav, apr, bc, alt, vs, flc, lvl, gs, vnv) (bitfield)	`AUTOPILOT MASTER (bool)AUTOPILOT FLIGHT DIRECTOR ACTIVE (bool)AUTOPILOT YAW DAMPER (bool)AUTOPILOT HEADING LOCK (bool)AUTOPILOT NAV1 LOCK (bool)AUTOPILOT APPROACH HOLD (bool)AUTOPILOT BACKCOURSE HOLD (bool)AUTOPILOT ALTITUDE LOCK (bool)AUTOPILOT VERTICAL HOLD (bool)AUTOPILOT FLIGHT LEVEL CHANGE (bool)AUTOPILOT WING LEVELER (bool)AUTOPILOT GLIDESLOPE HOLD (bool)`	`sim/cockpit2/autopilot/servos_onsim/cockpit2/autopilot/flight_director_modesim/cockpit2/switches/yaw_damper_onsim/cockpit2/autopilot/heading_statussim/cockpit2/autopilot/nav_statussim/cockpit2/autopilot/approach_statussim/cockpit2/autopilot/backcourse_statussim/cockpit2/autopilot/altitude_hold_statussim/cockpit2/autopilot/vvi_statussim/cockpit2/autopilot/speed_statussim/cockpit2/autopilot/roll_statussim/cockpit2/autopilot/glideslope_status`
The NAV source is a localizer (1/0) (bool)	`NAV HAS LOCALIZER:1 (bool)GPS DRIVES NAV1 (bool)`	`sim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/nav1_frequency_hzsim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/HSI_source_select_pilot`
CDI/HSI navigation source: 0 GPS, 1 NAV (enum)	`GPS DRIVES NAV1 (bool)`	`sim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/HSI_source_select_pilot`
Indicated altitude (ft)	`INDICATED ALTITUDE (feet)`	`sim/cockpit2/gauges/indicators/altitude_ft_pilot`
Selected altitude (ft)	`AUTOPILOT ALTITUDE LOCK VAR (feet)`	`sim/cockpit2/autopilot/altitude_dial_ft`
Autopilot vertical speed target (fpm)	`AUTOPILOT VERTICAL HOLD VAR (feet per minute)`	`sim/cockpit2/autopilot/vvi_dial_fpm`
Selected airspeed (kt)	`AUTOPILOT AIRSPEED HOLD VAR (knots)`	`sim/cockpit2/autopilot/airspeed_dial_kts_mach`

Sends

When you…	MSFS	X-Plane
Any mode key	`AP_MASTERTOGGLE_FLIGHT_DIRECTORYAW_DAMPER_TOGGLEAP_PANEL_HEADING_HOLDAP_NAV1_HOLDAP_APR_HOLDAP_BC_HOLDAP_ALT_HOLDAP_PANEL_VS_HOLDFLIGHT_LEVEL_CHANGEAP_WING_LEVELER`	`sim/autopilot/servos_togglesim/autopilot/fdir_togglesim/systems/yaw_damper_togglesim/autopilot/headingsim/autopilot/NAVsim/autopilot/approachsim/autopilot/back_coursesim/autopilot/altitude_holdsim/autopilot/vertical_speedsim/autopilot/level_changesim/autopilot/wing_leveler`
Rolling the NOSE wheel	`AP_VS_VAR_SET_ENGLISHAP_SPD_VAR_SETAP_PITCH_REF_INC_UPAP_PITCH_REF_INC_DN`	`sim/cockpit2/autopilot/vvi_dial_fpmsim/cockpit2/autopilot/airspeed_dial_kts_machsim/autopilot/nose_upsim/autopilot/nose_down`