autopilot systems
Self-steering flight control
Autopilot systems are technologies that control vehicles—most commonly aircraft—with minimal or no human input.
In aviation, autopilot maintains altitude, heading, and speed, allowing pilots to focus on navigation and monitoring rather than constant manual control.
The term has expanded to cover similar automated guidance in cars, ships, and spacecraft.
The autopilot handled the cruise while the pilot reviewed the approach charts.
Figuratively, being on autopilot means going through motions without conscious thought.
- gyroscopesSpinning axis-orientation devices
- radar systemsEquipment detecting objects via radio waves
- sensorsDevices that detect input
- accelerometersDevices measuring rate of velocity change
- long-haul flightsAirplane journeys over vast distances
automation · avionics · flight deck · navigation · servo motors · radar · safety certifications · fly-by-wire · air traffic control · commercial aviation · Airbus · waypoint · course correction · fuel efficiency · Boeing · throttle · altitude · autonomous
- aviation rulesflight regulations, civil aviation, air traffic control, aviation security, safety standards
- aviationaircraft, airports, flying, flight, airplane
- military aviationaircraft, bombers, fighter jets, stealth, drones
- Aviation Testingprototypes, experimental aircraft, X-planes, flight simulators, mock-ups
- spacecraft electronicsonboard computers, telemetry, guidance systems, navigation systems, transponders
autopilot systemsmanual control
Human-directed action
manual operation · manual steering · analog control · physical control