Why You Want an Autothrottle

FLYING Staff

Friday, August 11, 2006 at 08:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Safe Flight Instrument Company pioneered autothrottle systems 50 years ago, and thanks to technological advancements like FADEC, this safety-enhancing equipment is now becoming more accessible beyond large jets to mid-size business aircraft and potentially smaller planes.
Autothrottles significantly reduce pilot workload and improve fuel efficiency and performance by automatically maintaining precise airspeed from takeoff to touchdown, while carefully managing engine limits.
Beyond technology, the article emphasizes the critical role of standard operating procedures for aviation safety, alongside rigorous simulator training that challenges pilots to exercise judgment in rare, complex emergencies and adverse weather conditions like wind shear.

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It has been 50 years since Safe Flight Instrument Company developed the first practical autothrottle system but only a small minority of pilots have been able to fly this most useful and safety enhancing equipment.

But that is starting to change. Safe Flight is now offering its AutoPower system in midsize business jets, when before it had only been installed in airline and large business jets such as Gulfstreams and Global Expresses. It’s not an impossible dream that autothrottles will someday be available even in single-engine airplanes.