George Doesn’t know

No, we’re not going to beat you up for relying on your GPS. Instead, our concern is overreliance on your autopilot. But not for reasons you might think.

Mark Kolber

Thursday, March 21, 2024 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Over-reliance on modern autopilots often leads pilots to lose crucial "anticipation" skills—the ability to know what's next and prepare for it—rather than a loss of basic instrument flying ability.
This lack of anticipation contributes to common errors such as busting altitudes, missing approach captures, and getting "behind the airplane," particularly in critical phases of flight.
The solution lies in practicing "implementation intentions," a systematic self-talk where pilots mentally commit to specific actions for anticipated situations (e.g., "When X happens, I will do Y").
Consistent application of this technique helps pilots stay ahead of the aircraft, reduces stress, improves smoothness and proficiency, and eventually forms an unconscious habit critical for safe and effective flying.

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Relax. This isn’t another “children of the magenta” rant. It’ll be something a little different. I absolutely love GPS, modern glass, and modern autopilots! Give me a modern autopilot capable of descending via a STAR that terminates at an approach transition, then flying the IAP to minimums, as well as the missed with me doing little more than hitting buttons, monitoring progress, and managing power, flaps and gear. Yeah baby!

But, as a CFII doing avionics transitions, IFR checkouts, IPCs, and recurrent IFR training, I’m seeing a consistent issue among pilots who “let George do it” too much. It’s so pervasive that I have been hearing from DPEs that they are getting instrument rating applicants who are already autopilot dependent and show the same symptoms.