ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the range of issues identified to date as human performance consequences of aircraft automation in this generation of aircraft within airline operations. It discusses the policy and training changes that have resulted. The chapter argues that identifying these issues and developing responses are not unique to this generation of aircraft. It details the issues growing from the automation of flightpath control functions. To simplify the discussion, consider an Flight Management System (FMS) aircraft to have three levels of automation of flightpath control, with the third level its unique advance over previous generations. All the aircraft of this generation have significant automation of warnings and of systems as well as flight path control. The aircraft communicates feedback through monitors and instruments. Based on a series of investigations of pilot interaction with automation on FMS-generation aircraft, N. B. Sarter & D. D. Woods identified a range of automation surprises.
