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Sky Kings: Are Pilots Losing Stick and Rudder Skills?

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Pilots must strike a balance between mastering cockpit automation for efficiency and safety, and maintaining robust manual "stick and rudder" flying skills.
  • While automation offers benefits like workload reduction and enhanced situational awareness, pilots must be able to override or abandon it and hand-fly the aircraft when automation isn't serving the immediate need or fails.
  • Effective flight training is crucial to develop proficiency in both automation management and fundamental aircraft control, ensuring pilots can adapt to diverse flight situations and maintain safety.
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“Don’t do that. Don’t ever do that,” my instructor said. I was confused. I wasn’t even sure I understood what his complaint was. But when I did, I realized the issue lay at the very heart of the debate about how to deal with cockpit automation.

I said, “Let’s talk about it on the ground.” And so we did — at length. The instructor was, in my opinion, absolutely right and absolutely wrong.

Martha King

Martha King and John King take turns writing Sky Kings. They have shared flying and teaching aviation for more than 50 years.

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