No doubt automation has made flying easier, especially when it comes to delivering the smooth ride passengers expect in jets. But has passenger comfort that demands the precision of these automated systems taken our eyes off the ball of the basic airmanship component? Were the Air France pilots simply overwhelmed with more flashing lights and chimes than they could grasp as a stormy night flight came unraveled? Few pilots hand fly their aircraft in training or on the line. Can we really afford that insulation from actual stick-and-rudder flying any longer? Many companies–airlines included–don’t want to spend the time and money to train pilots for those one-in-a-million calamities that could appear in obscure corners of the envelope. Maybe it’s time to re-evaluate that philosophy.
For more go to: Pitch and Power: Lessons from Air France Flight 447 - by Robert P. Mark
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