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atrophied after only three months of relegating the responsibility to au- tomation. I made the decision to fly at least one manual approach every month. If the thing fails in icing con- ditions over Mexico, I want it to be no big deal.
Automation and Pilot Error
Automation is very good at manag- ing certain aspects of flight, but it is lousy at abstracting solutions to un- usual events. Programmers can ac- count for the obvious stuff, but cod- ing automation for one-in-a-million circumstances is infeasible. Humans are still the better solution – particu- larly when lives are on the line. As a result, complex problems are often relegated to the pilots. System fail- ures in automation are not routine, but with hundreds of millions of flight hours logged every year, they are a reality. Nearly all of them end with a successful landing, such as my benign autopilot failure. Some of them result
in harrowing f light crew heroics, but nobody pays attention unless the air- plane ends up in the Hudson.
The 737 Max ordeal is an example of the peril of handing over basic flying duties to computers (particularly when pilots are kept in the dark). “What is it doing now?” becomes the new danger. Technology only reduces workload when pilots are competent at interfac- ing with the devices. A healthy bit of skepticism can be an asset: Discon- necting automation and hand-f lying is almost always the best solution when the computers do something unexpected. The ability to disengage automation is quickly becoming an im- portant skill for pilots to master. This sounds simple, but it can be confusing on sophisticated aircraft. My current aircraft has over a dozen different switches dedicated to disengaging the various automated systems and alerts.
Technology is in the midst of a 30-year revolution. The way we com- municate, consume news, complain
about politics, and purchase goods has rapidly evolved. Aviation has been no outlier to this trend. Charles Lindbergh has morphed into Star Trek. Automa- tion allows us (at times) to get away with distractions. It is not an excuse to become lazy. The safety of aviation continues to depend on the compe- tence of operators. The importance of a well-trained pilot continues to be vital. When used properly, automation increases safety. When everything is falling apart, the last line of defense re- mains the human at the controls.
Stan Dunn is an airline captain and check airman. He has 7,000 hours in turbine powered aircraft, with type ratings in the BE-1900, EMB-120, EMB- 145, ERJ-170, and ERJ-190. Stan has been a professional pilot for 14 years, and has been flying for two decades. You can contact Stan at Stan@fly- ingformoney.com.
Ocean Reef
May 2021 / TWIN & TURBINE • 9