In the cockpit

What does the autopilot do?

Is the plane flying itself?

The autopilot flies the aircraft according to what the pilots select: altitude, heading, speed or a programmed route. The pilots set the targets, monitor and can take over any time.

Pilots often hand-fly the takeoff and sometimes the landing, but use automation in between, especially in busy airspace and long flights. In bad visibility some aircraft and airports are approved for automatic landings.

A little deeper

The flight management system holds the route, performance and fuel predictions. The pilots cross-check what it is doing.

Automation does not remove the need for skilled pilots; airlines train for manual flying too.

See it in Gate 41, in the cockpit

Related questions

• The primary flight display
• The thrust levers
• Why does the plane tilt in turns?

People involved

• Captain Imani OkaforCaptain (pilot in command)
• First Officer Mateo AlvarezFirst officer (co-pilot)