Automation in civil transport aircraft.
The pilot of a contemporary transport aircraft is in a managerial role, supervising the performance of sophisticated systems which perform most of the tasks concerned with operating the aircraft safely and efficiently. Under normal conditions he is required to exercise his psycho-motor skills only to a very small extent; his principal task is to process information and to convey instructions to the automatics by way of push-button switches and similar devices. In the event of major system failure, however, or in the absence of ground-based facilities, he may be called upon to take a much more active part in control. The evolution of flight-deck automation owes much more to engineering and economic analyses that to systematic development of policy concerning the role of men in automated systems. The current situation is not without its problems, and substantial ergonomics input should contribute to future developments.
Edwards
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University of Aston in Birmingham, UK.