As time marches on, so do advancements to many of the aircraft we are fortunate enough to fly. When I did my initial instrument training, I remember the high-workload events like setting up and briefing approaches, talking to ATC and running the checklists, all while hand-flying the aircraft on steam gauges. It was an exercise in managing task saturation, and it was easy to get behind if one was not on the ball. My instructor used to say, “If you are not doing something, you are missing something.”
When I transitioned to professional flying, it is somewhat ironic how all the procedures and techniques I used for single-pilot IFR during my instrument training fly completely in the face of modern CRM recommendations and SOPs. If a pilot is hand-flying, that is all they are focused on. For passenger-carrying operations, it is not even legal to dispatch a single pilot without a functioning autopilot. When implemented appropriately and functioning correctly, automation can reduce pilot workload and keep the crew in front of the airplane.
