Too Much Automation?

Theres no question in my mind that a good autopilot system tends to dull a pilot to what the airplane is doing and what it may be telling him or her. Im fortunate to have a really good one in my traveling airplane and use it most of the time when Im in cruising flight. It will fly a heading, follow a magenta line, climb/descend to a preset altitude at a rate of my choosing and shoot coupled ILS or GPS approaches.

Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside

Monday, October 24, 2016 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Autopilot systems, while beneficial for reducing pilot workload, can dull a pilot's awareness of the aircraft's behavior, making manual flying skills crucial, especially during unexpected events.
Using autopilots during a single-engine inoperative (OEI) emergency in personal aircraft is generally discouraged, as simpler systems may not effectively handle the asymmetric thrust, and critical pilot feedback is lost.
A fatal accident involving an Aero Commander 500A, where an engine failure likely led to a stall/spin due to autopilot reliance in an emergency, underscores the dangers of losing manual control and situational awareness.
Pilots should prioritize hand-flying during emergencies like engine failure to maintain maximum feedback and control, and always verify operating limitations regarding autopilot use in such critical scenarios.

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There’s no question in my mind that a good autopilot system tends to dull a pilot to what the airplane is doing and what it may be telling him or her. I’m fortunate to have a really good one in my traveling airplane and use it most of the time when I’m in cruising flight. It will fly a heading, follow a magenta line, climb/descend to a preset altitude at a rate of my choosing and shoot coupled ILS or GPS approaches.

But I still have to take off and land manually. Since it’s dumb enough to pitch the airplane’s nose way up in a downdraft, irrespective of airspeed, I still have to disengage it sometimes in bumpy weather. Like all automation, sometimes it doesn’t do what I want, when I want it. And when some other component of the airplane soils the bed, it’s a good idea to disengage the autopilot and hand-fly until the situation is resolved, if for no other reason to ensure I can feel what the airplane is doing at times of uncertainty.