Keeping Cognitive Skills Sharp

Stephen Pope

Tuesday, December 09, 2014 at 10:43 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A study found that prevalent cockpit automation can impair pilots' ability to perform critical cognitive tasks, such as navigating without a moving map and troubleshooting system issues independently.
Researchers observed that while pilots' manual flying skills remained reasonably intact, they struggled with positional awareness and problem-solving when automated aids were unavailable.
The article emphasizes the need for all pilots to actively maintain sharp cognitive skills, acknowledging that "flying by mind" is as crucial as manual flying in increasingly automated environments.

See a mistake? Contact us.

A recent report in the journal Human Factors found that the prevalence of automated cockpits may be hindering pilots’ ability to perform some key tasks, such as navigating without the aid of a moving map and troubleshooting systems problems.

Researchers studied 16 experienced pilots as they flew routine and nonroutine flight scenarios in a Boeing 747-100 simulator. Levels of automation available to the pilots were varied as the researchers graded the pilots’ performance. The pilots also reported what they were thinking about as they flew.