PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - automation...civilian vs military attitudes
Old 28th Apr 2015, 08:10
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Better to cite the Air France crash off Brazil - not only was there a lack of basic flying skills (select an attitude and power) but they didn't understand the logic in the sidestick controllers and the process for handing over control from co-pilot to pilot that prevented corrective action as one stick was being pulled back whilst the other vwas being pushed forwards.

The designers don't help - my current helo has a 3-axis autopilot where IAS, alt and vertical speed (all mutually exclusive) are managed through the cyclic channel - that means that with VS mode engaged (or with coupled glideslope on ILS) you are controlling speed with collective which is completely unnatural for a helicopter pilot.

Yes, you can train to understand it but if it wasn't designed in such a poor way in the first place you wouldn't have to - no wonder pilots get lost in automation.
crab@SAAvn.co.uk is offline