Why The FAA Tells Airline Pilots To Keep Mentally Flying The Aircraft Even With Autopilot On

For much of a modern airline flight, the autopilot controls the aircraft with remarkable precision. It follows programmed routes, climbs and descends to assigned altitudes, captures instrument approaches, and can even land in extremely poor visibility under the right conditions. To passengers, that level of automation suggests the pilots' workload largely disappears once the autopilot is engaged. Inside the cockpit, however, the opposite philosophy applies. Rather than relaxing, pilots are expected to continue mentally flying the aircraft.

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