Pilot explains why 'autopilot' isn’t as laidback as it sounds

Flying a plane isn’t an easy task, with pilots having to master many skills and rack up flying hours to achieve special ranks in the aircraft industry, but luckily, autopilot exists.

It turns out that pilots don’t actually have to do all of the work themselves, thanks to the addition of autopilot mode.

As laid back as it sounds, the mode actually takes on huge responsibilities from the flight deck.

And, the use of the clever technology behind it has helped pilots worldwide for many years.

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This pilot explained why ‘autopilot’ isn’t as laidback as the phrase actually sounds

In the cockpit, pilots have a huge array of buttons at their fingertips to control the aircraft effectively.

However, sometimes humans don’t have to take complete control.

Many different types of aircraft often have a clever feature called autopilot, which enables some aspects to be controlled by the plane’s computer.

But, is it really as laidback as it sounds? Well, one pilot told all.

Over on TikTok, a pilot on the JetStar Australia account explained the real purpose and use of autopilot, and you may be in for a surprise.

“The autopilot is a system on the aircraft that helps the pilots in controlling the aircraft’s speed, altitude, and heading on long flights,” explained the pilot.

She then went on to explain that using it allows the pilot and co-pilot to attend to other important matters, such as the weather and even how much fuel the aircraft has in the tank.

Autopilot hasn’t always been around, though, and in the early days, pilots had to have high levels of focus and attention.

“This caused great fatigue to the crew, so a system that could perform some of the pilot’s tasks, and thus relieve the workload, was designed,” explained the World Aviation Flight Academy.

This means that autopilot was not only efficient, but also provided more safety and the chance for the crew to focus on other things onboard.

So, at least this explains why the pilots are spotted out of the driver’s seat and the plane is still cruising high in the sky.

Other pilots have also explained the questions about flying that we’re all eager to know

When flying, lots of travelers have important questions when it comes to the whole process.

From boarding to take off and even leaving the plane, lots of elements play on people’s minds, but to calm down travelers, some captains and air staff have answered frequently asked questions.

For example, one pilot helped calm anxious flyers by explaining the reasons behind the huge rumble of turbulence straight after take off.

Plus, another commercial airline pilot decided to reveal why the plane can feel like it may be sinking after takeoff.

To take a closer look at the autopilot explanation, have a look below.

@jetstaraustralia

What is autopilot and when do we use it? #jetstar #aviation #pilot

♬ original sound – Jetstar Australia

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