Originally Posted by
tubby linton
Having an autopilot fitted is not necessarily safe. I used to fly a large British turboprop and the airline owner would never pay to have them made servicable, as co-pilots were paid to fly the aircraft.
I agree with you but a functioning AP doesn't usually end up in a meandering spatially disoriented descent into the sea. Personally I trust my hand flying more in the main but in a high workload IMC flight, they are safer than the alternative! (notwithstanding the earlier comments about Autopilots not dealing with icing as well as a pilot who's spotted the ice!)