Man and Machine — Page 288, Lesson 472

I want to walk you through the opening of the "Man and Machine" chapter, starting with automation. This is a foundational concept for understanding how modern aircraft are designed and how your role as a pilot interacts with the technology around you. Let’s begin with the definition of automation itself. In aviation, automation is a system — or part of a system — that, when activated, carries out a predetermined sequence of actions autonomously, and it does so within a limited period of time. The key point here is that under normal conditions, you as the pilot have no control over it once it's running, and you cannot deactivate it. Automation is generally embedded in what we call the execution chain of a system — a good example is cabin pressurization or cabin temperature control. Those systems, once set, run their sequence without you intervening step by step. Now, there is a specific subtype called Protection Automation. This is an automatic action that is triggered when a safety limit is passed. The critical feature is that it cannot be disengaged by the pilot. Examples from the book include the stick shaker, flap load relief, and some alarms. So if the aircraft detects it's approaching a stall, the stick shaker activates automatically, and you cannot turn it off — it's there to protect the aircraft regardless of your input. Next, we have the Support System. This is a system that displays processed or diagnostic information that you, the pilot, can instantly use. The examples given are EICAS — that's the Engine Indication and Crew Alerting System — and the Flight Director. These systems take raw data, process it, and present it to you in a form you can act on immediately. Then there's the Glass Cockpit. This is a cockpit design characterized by computer-generated visual displays. The minimum set of displays in a glass cockpit is a Primary Flight Display, or PFD, and a Navigation Display, or ND. The book notes that the term "glass cockpit" is sometimes incorrectly used when referring to an aircraft equipped with screens that simply reproduce standard instruments — the real definition is about computer-generated displays, not just any screen replacing a dial. Now let's look at the advantages of automation as listed in the book. First, crew input is decreased, which reduces the chances of human error. Second, technical reliability is improved — a large number of automated systems are equipped with two and even three computers, dramatically improving redundancy levels. Third, this greater technical reliability leads to cost savings and increased productivity. Fourth, the choice of modes has considerably reduced the amount of space needed for instrument display, which has led to a decrease in the size of cockpits. Fifth, automation cuts crew workload and thus affords the crew more time for decision making. However, the book adds an important nuance: while physical workload is certainly decreased, mental workload may be increased depending on the experience of the individual or their attitude towards automation. Furthermore, there is evidence that automation tends to force pilots from a normal low workload suddenly to an unexpectedly and extremely high workload when the system fails. Sixth, automation provides smoother and more accurate control of the aircraft than can be achieved by humans. Seventh, there is a greater choice of options for the display of information. And finally, increased safety. So to summarize what we've covered: we have the definition of automation, the specific category of protection automation, the support system concept, the glass cockpit definition, and a detailed list of advantages — including the important caveat about workload shifting from physical to mental, and the risk of sudden high workload during system failures.