Until just recently, the role for most pilots was pilot flying with manual control, occasionally supplemented with autoflight when the workload was high and we needed a helping hand. With the increasing availability of more and more capable systems, that role is changing to one of systems manager or, worse, just systems observer. That’s not good. Our problem extends far beyond automation complacency. It’s become a new and dangerous way of thinking about the role of the pilot.
Automation Paradigm
Key Takeaways:
- Advanced aircraft automation is dangerously shifting the pilot's role from active control to passive systems management, fostering a mindset where pilots rely too heavily on systems rather than their own flying skills.
- This over-reliance leads to degraded manual flying abilities, reduced situational awareness, and an inability to quickly respond to unforeseen events or urgent instructions by taking manual control.
- The article contrasts traditional flying's continuous pilot engagement with modern automation's tendency to create disengagement, emphasizing the need for pilots to maintain core flying skills and treat automation as a helpful tool, not the primary controller.
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