Cockpit automation

With the development of technology, airplanes are becoming increasingly advanced, and their computers are solving increasingly complex tasks.

Today we will talk about flight automation, its levels, as well as the advantages (and disadvantages) of progress.

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Cockpit automation

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Modern airplanes rely more and more on automation for safe and efficient operation. However, automation can also lead to serious incidents if it is not properly understood or if pilots do not know how to work with it correctly.

In addition, automation can lead to the airplane being in an undesirable state from which it is difficult or impossible to recover using traditional manual control methods.

Today we will discuss what types of automation exist in modern aviation, as well as their pros (and cons).

What's the plan for today?

Automation Advantages and Disadvantages

Chapter 1

Automation Interaction Issues

Chapter 2

Automation Dependency

Chapter 3

Summary

Chapter 4

In modern aviation, four levels of automation are distinguished. About 10-15 years ago, the third level of automation was the most used one for most airplanes in the world, but with the development of computer systems and the improvement of FMS accuracy, the fourth level is becoming more and more common in flights of modern airplanes.

1

First level of automation - manual piloting
The most understandable level of all - at this level, automation is essentially absent, and the pilot controls the aircraft entirely by their own efforts
2

Second level of automation - director control
This is an "intermediate" level of automation, in which onboard computers generate so-called FD - Flight Directors (hence the name). Combining the instrument crosshairs with the set arrows, the pilot still flies in manual mode, but already uses the assistance of computational systems
3

Third level of automation - automatic control
Here, the autopilot comes into play, which already itself (instead of the pilot's efforts) controls that the aircraft flies strictly according to the specified parameters. The pilot's task still remains to set those same parameters (course, altitude, speed) that the autopilot follows
4

Fourth level of automation - flight using FMS (Flight management system)
In this level, onboard systems themselves are engaged not only in control but also in calculating and changing the parameters that the autopilot maintains. In this mode, the aircraft can start its descent from a cruising altitude on its own, maintain all restrictions on descent, and require minimal intervention from the pilot. The crew in this mode takes an observational position, essentially only monitoring the accuracy of all parameters and ready to intervene at any moment for unexpected changes that may require intervention

Automation Advantages and Disadvantages

1

+ Increases passenger comfort
Modern onboard computers can calculate the descent profile perfectly, and the autopilot controls the aircraft much more accurately than human capabilities allow
2

+ Improved flight path control and reduced weather minima;
The precision of the flight results in many advantages: it is possible to reduce the intervals between aircraft, as well as minimums for landing in difficult conditions
3

+- Systems monitoring displays coupled with diagnostic assistance systems (ECAM) support enhanced pilots’ and maintenance staff’s understanding of aircraft system states.
This reduces the speed of reaction to emergency situations, but can also excessively "relax" the crew, potentially reducing the level of pilot training and their active participation in the flight
4

+- Automation can relieve pilots from repetitive or non-rewarding tasks for which humans are less suited, though it invariably changes the pilots’ active involvement in operating the aircraft into a monitoring role, which humans are particularly poor at doing effectively or for long periods.
The pilot becomes less of a specialist who constantly solves navigation, meteorological, and technical tasks during the flight, and more of an observer of system operations. Constant flights with high levels of automation can reduce manual piloting skills
5

+- Good automation reduces workload, frees attentional resources to focus on other tasks but the need to ‘manage’ the automation, particularly when involving data entry or retrieval through a key-pad, places additional tasks on the pilot that can also increase pilot workload.
However, the need to work with data input through a keyboard can be highly distracting and increase the workload at critical moments. Moreover, "poor" automation can reduce pilots' situational awareness and create additional difficulties in flight

Like many things in our world, automation is useful only in moderation and in the right place. Constant work at high levels of automation reduces manual piloting skills, but neglecting automation assistance can lead to sad consequences.

A competent pilot can fly equally well in all levels of automation and is not afraid to lower or raise it depending on the situation.

Automation Interaction Issues

In addition to the pros and cons of high levels of automation, a whole separate topic is how people interact with automation. When we manually control the airplane, everything happens at a very understandable level - contact. However, when complex onboard systems generate our flight profile themselves, problems can arise:

Basic manual and cognitive flying skills can decline because of lack of practice and feel for the aircraft
1
Unexpected automation behavior
uncommanded disengagement caused by a system failure resulting in mode reversion or inappropriate mode engagement by the pilot may lead to adverse consequences
2
Pilots interacting with automation can be distracted from flying the aircraft
3
Short notice changes by ATC requiring reprogramming of a departure or landing runway are potentially hazardous
4
Data entry errors (either mistakes or typing errors)

5
Flight crew may not be sufficiently informed of automation failures
6

To adapt pilots to all types of automation, separate training is conducted in companies (as part of semi-annual periodic training).

During these sessions, crews practice flights using the most complex automation modes in difficult conditions so that in real flight, specialists do not encounter the difficulties described above.

Automation Dependency

Automation Dependency has commonly been described as a situation in which pilots who routinely fly aircraft with automated systems are only fully confident in their ability to control the trajectory of their aircraft when using the full functionality of such systems. Such a lack of confidence usually stems from a combination of inadequate knowledge of the automated systems themselves unless all are employed and a lack of manual flying and aircraft management competence.

Two problems arise directly from automation dependency:

Firstly, affected pilots are reluctant to voluntarily reduce the extent to which they use full automation capability to deal with any situation - routine or abnormal - which arises.
Secondly, if the full automation capability is for some reason no longer available or it is considered that it is no longer capable of delivering the required aircraft control, then the tendency is to seek to partially retain the use of automated systems rather than revert to wholly manual aircraft trajectory control. The effect of both is often a loss of situational awareness triggered by task saturation for both pilots. The consequence of this is frequently a reduction in the extent to which the PM is able to effectively monitor the actions of the PF.

SOPs are understandably oriented towards maximum use of automation in the interests of efficiency as well as safety. However, they must be flexible enough to allow pilots to elect to fly without automation or with partial automation in order to maintain their competence between recurrent simulator training sessions. SOPs should also make it clear when it is expected that pilots’ response will include reducing the level of automation beyond any un-commanded reduction which may have already occurred.

Summary

Flight automation is an integral part of modern aviation. The airspace has become so busy and flights so fast and frequent that without precision and computer system assistance, air transportation would be impossible today. However, each level of automation, in addition to convenience and improvements, carries additional risks. Therefore, it is impossible to say which one is "better" or "worse" - each one is good in its own situation. Moreover, pilots must be prepared to operate the aircraft in any mode because failures often force us to "fall back" to more basic automation laws.

Constant training on simulators, practice on real flights, periodic training - all of this allows crews to remain professionals and be able to manage the aircraft safely and efficiently at any stage and with the use of any means.

Fly safe :)

Name of article: Cockpit automation
Release date: 11/30/2023
Article author: Nikita Pavlov

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