Automation (Good or Bad ?)
As an avid aviation fan for the best part of my life I have always had the greatest respect for the "guys up front".
However my confidence has taken a bit of a knock lately when I stumbled across the report of the Thomas Cook B757-200 incident which occurred at Newcastle on 17th August last year.
To a non pilot, but never the less, well informed in aviation matters enthusiast like myself this makes for chilling reading.
Without going into the long and sometimes technical chain of events which the report highlights the thing which surprises me most is the level of automation which apparently is the norm during a commercial passenger flight.
Most lay persons will be aware of the term Auto Pilot and I suppose that the same folk, like myself thought that this was an aid to be employed when in the cruise so that the guys up front can stretch out, have a coffee and relax a bit. (just a bit mind !!).
Reading the said report I was amazed at the level of automation still engaged when on final approach and indeed the scope for things to go wrong when attempting to revert to the pilot actually flying the aircraft.
In this respect I would be grateful if any of our "aircrew" friends could spill the beans and let me know just what level of automation is normally used during an everyday approach and landing and furthermore just how much hand flying is actually carried out these days.
Thanks.