What Do Pilots Do When A Plane Is On Autopilot?

An automatic flight control system is described as dumb and dutiful. The success of the autopilot depends on the knowledge of the actual human pilot. Autopilot isn't as "auto" as you might think. It lets a pilot fly without white-knuckling the controls. Like a polar bear, autopilot functions through a negative feedback loop.

The video incorrectly states the direction in which single-axis autopilot guides the plane. The single-axis autopilot keeps the wings parallel to the ground, not perpendicular. Insider regrets the error.

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Why You Can't Fly A Plane In Space
Why Jets Leave White Trails In The Sky

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How Does Autopilot Actually Work?

[yeshayahuleff]

How does auto pilot work?
Like a polar bear.
Woah

[masterybox]

"They could program it to fly upside down"
Autopilot: *has a 30° bank angle limit*

[bro]

Next up: How Polar Bears work.
Tech Insider: _It's like airplanes_

[SAYD]

This has to be hands down the worst explanation of what autopilot is.

[shouryaparashar]

2:05, its parallel to the ground not perpendicular 😒

[armandenaseem]

2:05 I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t want your wings perpendicular to the ground...

[edwinanthony]

Autopilot doesnt let a plane fly by itself but it helps it fly the plane without the pilot

[tzwacdastag]

If polar bears gets that hot then the ice must be Melting under his feet

[Anonymous-jfgy]

Nobody:
No one:
Absolutely nobody:
Tech Insider:Polar Bears

[nicka]

hey, here's a wild idea: let an aviation professional explain autopilot!

[StrayFire]

What exactly did you guys exPLANE in this video? I don't feel like this really helps anyone understand an autopilot at all.

[Boneskullzy]

Just feedback loop, not negative feedback loop.

[PSYCHOVNM]

2:47 "They will kill you"

😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣

[chintanjani]

Polar bear? Wtf! Y’all couldn’t compare it to Cruise Control in cars?

[danm]

This was so dumbed down I felt insulted

[notbosa]

2:05, 5:14, 1:55 and 3:29 are proof who ever made this knows nothing about aviation.


They said "it keeps the wing of the plane perpendicular to the ground." And not parallel to the ground.
They said "And haven't handed the yoke over to the robots." and shows the throttle.
They pointed to the flaps and called them ailerons.
They said "If someone programs it wrong you could fly upside down." Yet it has a 30° bank angle.

[JCHarrisx]

You should Celsius degrees too whenever talking about temperatures... it would spare people the google conversions

[misceryyt]

1:55: *points at flaps and ailerons while saying flaps are ailerons*

[futurepilot]

its actually pointless to have a pilot holding the yoke for hours just to fly in course and straight level. With the autopilot, they can do their actual important work like monitoring instruments, inspecting systems and communicate with ground.

[zkxrpyun]

"Keeps the wings perpendicular to the ground"
my brain: "So the plane is always at a 90° bank angle?"