This is my favorite subject to teach. It is easy to teach this subject when you love it. The AFCS subject is truly an aerospace subject due to its multi-disciplinary nature. Students who take this subject has the chance to pull together all that they have learned in the last 4 years of the Aerospace Degree course. They feel challenged and the timing when the subject is offered prepares them to face the multidisciplinary aerospace industry once graduated.

Hands-On + Theory + More Hands-On = Remember for Life.

Automatic Flight Control System course is very mathematics intense. Over the years I have found that students focus on the lesson deteriorates as the semester tails towards the end. I acknowledge the difficulty to make mathematics 'exciting' for 14 weeks. So I came up with a mesh-up version on how to teach this exciting course. If the students can see the 'action' of mathematics then their focus will be on the next level. In other words, more for this course than others, I need to put meaning and action to mathematics.

Mathematics+Meaning+Action = AFCS fun

The AFCS course involves designing autopilot systems too using tools such as Matlab and Simulink. Students get a chance to experience the design process and during the course, students are introduced to flight simulator systems too. After going through the mathematics of mathematical modelling and designing control systems, students are shown the difference between flying an aircraft manually and flying the aircraft with autopilot systems activated. I thoroughly enjoy the expressions on student faces when they see the real actions of well designed autopilot systems !

The last twist of the course, is to let them design and tune UAV flight control systems. They will go to our in-house flight testing center, LUFTA and experience the whole UAV operation with our dedicated UAV Team. 

TESTIMONY (Un-edited)

When asked, "What do you love the most about the Automatic Flight Control System Course", here are some students feedback :- 

1) "For me, what I love most about this course is I enjoy this class to learn more about the control system of the aircraft. Before, we just only learned the theory part, so we haven't have pretty much idea on what is the exact things about the control system. We just can only mentioned its function but not the view of the system itself. Next, it is always great when Dr Zairil relate on what he lectured in class with his experience in aircraft world. The class also being more interested as the student able to experiences to fly the aircraft too."

2) "In my opinion, the first thing that I love about AFCS is we are not only learning theories in the class but we have something that is real to feel. Therefore, even though the class is three hours long, but I would not feel boring throughout the lecture. For example, we have try to carry the Cessna in flight simulation room and refresh our memories on the instruments, control surfaces and etc which are important for the flight control. Besides that, we quite often heard lecturers say about the autopilot system but actually how it works and where we can find it in the aircraft is a big question mark for the students. Thus, Dr Zairil has shown us how it function and where it is in different aircraft using flight simulator. Recently, we have went to Ladang Puchong to fly the UAV and that will amazing. I have never tried something like that before, therefore, it give me a good experiences on flying UAV with remote control. Also, I love about AFCS is the amount of students chosen this course is less and it make the teaching process become easier, quiet and peaceful. Dr Zairil can pay attention on each and every one of us and make sure we are clear about the lecture. Then, the assignments given by Dr Zairil are quite nice and easy, it would not require us to waste too much on time in the assignments. This really help a lot because we have too much works need to be settle like AVD, Space launch and FYP as well. Last but not least, the way that Dr Zairil teachs this course is lively and fun, I feel relax when attending the class. I like to learn the knowledge through fun not stress even I know stress is equivalent to motivation for us to improve, but teaching through relax and fun help me learn faster."

3) "The things that I love about AFCS is this course have interesting topic to learn. From this course, I can learn about how the real aircraft function through learning the instruments inside the aircraft, parts on aircraft body and the building of control system for aircraft working. Before this, I only able to see the aircraft flying without knowing what going on happen to the aircraft as it start flying,cruise or landing. AFCS expose the way rudder,aileron,flap,elevator function to stabilise the aircraft. Furthermore, our lecturer,Dr zairil teach us with his relax style and always ready to discuss on question we did not understand so cool and make us feel relax to learn well. He also give the explaination clearly with example for understanding. Student usually hard to catch up the topics when learn with the fierce lecturer but Dr was cool and relax make us comfortable. In addition, AFCS course provide simulation class to fly the aircraft. I gain a lot of experience when able to feel how pilot fly the aircraft in real world although only use the simulation. The simulation enable us to practice well keep remembering the way to control aircraft by rudder, throttle, yoke and checking the instruments available inside the aircraft. The best is, Dr give permission for us to fly the simulation every time we want. That chance is good for us to learn out from class time. At last, AFCS course such an important learning to study as it may be apply during emergency case happen to the aircraft and I, student that have knowledge about AFCS may help to handle the aircraft at that time."

4) "It is interesting to see how we can apply our control system knowledge in controlling and aircraft and predict its behaviour. It was also very interesting to see how our lecturer can relate what he is teaching with his previous working experience. Other than that, flying a flight simulator are pretty fun by itself, not to mentioned that the whole set up was actually sponsored by our lecturer himself. This shows his enthusiasm in flying an aircraft and his passion to share it to the people around him."

5) "What do I love the most about the Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS) course is that it literally taught the knowledge that is behind the amazing technology such as the enormous flying metal, an airplane. In addition, having a field trip to see how the knowledge is apply and also to be expose to the most importance part of one of the marvelous technology seriously open up my mind of how fragile is one technology is when it essence is poorly design or create. In conclusion, I love the mathematics behind the airplane's control system and the UAV shown by Dr.Zairil."

6) "What I love about this course Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS) was the fact that it makes me understand how aircraft are flown and it bring me close to it by flying the stimulator in order to experience similar feeling when flying an aircraft. This course makes me understand better all what I had been taught in the past without any practice or demonstration about it, with AFSC I am able to know how those thing work and how the command are inter-related to one another . The class section is also one of the things I am also excited about, educating us about what is going on in the real world, new discoveries and challenges faced in the industry, the lectures and many more .Those discussion always makes me prepare for the challenges ahead ,and like you always told us in class we are the ones that will replace you. AFCS has bring me close to flying aircraft with the simulator class and the last visit flying an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for the first time as an Aerospace Engineering student is really Great joy for me, with practical learning I had understand better all what had been taught in class because it bring me to the reality on ground rather than what was written in the book which will forever be in my memory compared to the equation which we been forgotten easily."

7) "What I love the most about the Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS) Course is the unique teaching method which works excellent to us. It is not an ordinary lecture with all those exercises, slides, and assignments that just prepare us for the examination. What I have experienced in AFCS is more about practical skill such as how to flight an aircraft with flight simulator (it is the coolest thing ever learnt!) and have real scene of UAV flight. I never thought of having real experience of handling a flight in this course, it really help a lot to familiarize with the control surfaces and other aspects of flight an aircraft. I kind of enjoy the way of teaching and in the end of the course I understand general knowledges on control system as well as autopilot system. I prefer to learn more practical and basic knowledges that can be linked in our future life rather than all detail, complicated theoretical knowledges that will be forgotten few weeks later."

8) "I love the most in AFC is when I know the reasons of studying stability, control system and aerodynamic courses in previous semester. Dr also explain the details in real life such as how the spiral, roll and the period of the aircraft. Since this class not much focus on theoretical but more toward effect and reasons of certain situation, thus every class really help me gain new knowledge. On week 11, that is my first experience control RC aircraft and it was really good. Ladang Puchong also has nice view that make the picture look good on the picture. Lastly, simulation room (BT15) really help me a lot to understand aircraft control system. Thank you Dr for letting us use that room freely and provide the facilities. This class really exposed me many facilities and knowledge to understand more of what I learn from first semester until now."

9) "In my opinion, what I love the most about Automatic Flight Control System course is when I could applied all of the theoretical subject that I have learnt in the previous semester. For example, Control System by Dr. Syaril and Aerodynamic by Dr. Azmin. After that, Dr also got all of us to experience the subject itself such as by using Flight Simulator. Besides that, Dr also show us a more detail explain on what is meant by aircraft is having a stall, in which we just learnt that by theory and formula only. Then, I got an experience went to Ladang Puchong and see how to control an RC aircraft."