In my day job, I am a first officer in private jets. I am a professional pilot who flies across the country to get the rich where they need to go. One day I was flying into Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) to pick up another plane so that as a crew we could take our client home. The plane had been on the ground for about a week and a half. There was no point staying in place for a week (and paying for hotel, car rental, and food expenses), so we flew home. I flew home that morning and planned to meet my Captain on the jet, located at one of BWI’s satellite airports. I took an Uber from BWI to the smaller airport and on the way my driver and I listened to the news. This day coincided with reports of another malfunction of Tesla’s autopilot, pointing to the possibility of a recall of its automated systems. My Uber driver started asking about autopilot systems (since he knew I was a jet pilot) and it got me thinking.
The aviation industry has grappled with the onset of automation for more than 30 years. As computers and technology have become more advanced, smaller, and smarter, the level of automation has also increased. Today’s modern airliners and private jets can literally take off and land on their own, with just the weight and course information entered by the pilot. However, the onset of automation also generates an innate desire to trust the computer and disconnect. The aviation industry took note of this early, and autopilot systems instruction and knowledge has become a key part of any advanced pilot training program.
Automation was introduced to cockpits after the Korean War. One of the first tests involved a new system known as an “inertial navigation system” that was capable of getting the aircraft to a destination based solely on the measurement of its inertia. In these early days, the pilot was still manipulating the flight controls, but responded to a computer input that “calculated” the position of the aircraft based solely on its movement. In the 1980s, computer systems and the advent of computer-controllable servos led to the introduction of autopilot systems in airplanes. During the revolution in autopilot technology that followed, and the additional coupling of GPS to these systems, aircraft automation became increasingly capable, but not without accidents.
The most infamous accident involving automation, and the most important one taught to new pilots, is the crash of Air France Flight 447 in 2009. For those outside of aviation, this crash involved an Airbus A330 en route from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Paris , France. The aircraft stalled at cruising altitude (between 30 and 40,000 feet) and began a descent into the ocean. The data computer was recovered years later and the resulting investigation revealed important information. The first revelation indicated that the autopilot was, in fact, engaged at the time. This is normal practice, but the pitot tubes, the devices used to give airspeed, had become clogged and were no longer giving accurate airspeed readings. Because of this, automation went from its normal operating logic to what is called “alternative law” logic. For the sake of brevity, the final cause of the accident revealed that the pilots did not recognize the inconsistencies in their airspeed, did not understand the logic of the autopilot, and did not continue to monitor their aircraft while the autopilot was engaged.
I believe that as the world begins to grapple with automated automobiles for the first time, there are many lessons learned that need to be studied from aviation, and especially the crash of Flight 447. The lessons that the aviation industry has learned were drawn from cost of life. Everything from the mindset instilled in the drivers to the knowledge requirements and the ability to manipulate the automated system should start to make the switch to everyday life and the basics of driver education classes around the world.
It seems to be a common misconception that pilots do not pay attention to the autopilot once it is engaged. The truth is that pilots are now taught to “fly the automatic pilot” and to have the mindset, as a pilot, that you are not a passenger. Flying the autopilot is a simple concept that forces the pilot to verify all the actions that the autopilot performs. For example, if air traffic control tells the pilot to climb to 10,000 feet, we enter 10,000 feet on the autopilot and tell him to ascend to altitude. We monitor the system to make sure it “captures” that altitude as we get closer and it begins to level. If not, the pilot has several options, including disabling the autopilot entirely and manually flying the aircraft to the required altitude. Even in the cruise configuration, the pilot must remain vigilant. Human error can occur when entering the flight plan and air traffic control can change the route in the air. It is not uncommon to “point the thumb” at the name of a navigation point, especially in turbulence. The saying “garbage in, garbage out” of computer programming is a very important factor; the computer is only as smart as the information it receives. So as pilots we need to make sure the computer is flying the aircraft to its intended destination from start to finish.
Another important part of pilot training is the pilot’s ability to understand how the automated system thinks. For example, how do you capture altitude? What will you do if you cannot capture the altitude? What changes can be made to the system if it does not capture altitude, unless I turn off the autopilot and shift to manual? In the case of Flight 447, the automation system turned off the stall warning horn because it had unreliable airspeed information. This caused the pilots to apply an incorrect recovery action because they did not know the logic of the system. Today, flight training with these systems covers the programming and logic of the automated system based on the flight mode you are in. Pilots are expected to understand this system, as well as all systems, such as the engine or electrical system, to troubleshoot in real time.
By combining active autopilot flight and an understanding of autopilot logic, pilots can manipulate the system to effectively fly the aircraft, under automation, to its destination. Although the systems are smart enough to be “push a button, go flying”, this is rarely the case. Pilots use a combination of several different modes to perform flight, ranging from full automation to a semi-automatic state that still requires pilot intervention. In fact, throughout the flight, the pilot is actively involved and checks what the autopilot is doing.
Automation is used in aviation as a tool to unleash brain power for other tasks. It is not a license to disconnect from the act of operating your machine, but rather a method of eliminating the basic tasks and letting the pilot work on the most important ones. This is the same mindset that should be adopted and taught in future driver education classes. To help facilitate this, it is necessary to steer clear of the term “driverless car” as there is still a very real need for a “driver”. The nature of driving is going to change, especially as driving transitions from a mechanical act to a more mental management act. In aviation, this mindset has proven successful. It has resulted in fewer accidents and better drivers. As the general public begins to engage in automation for the first time, adopting aviation automation practices now will result in fewer accidents and better drivers in our future.
Colin J. Fischer is the author of “The Drone Pilot’s Handbook” available on Amazon, Kindle, and at Barnes and Noble. He is a professional pilot with Trident Aircraft who flies the Pilatus PC-12 and Phenom 100.
