Safety
Prolonged Use of Automation Dulls Pilots’ Edge
Research studied the flying habits of 16 professional pilots

Too much time spent immersed in a cockpit’s technology can dull an aviator’s ability to perform some key tasks, according to a study published last week in Human Factors. Steve Casner, a pilot and research psychologist at NASA’s Ames Research Center, coauthored “The Retention of Manual Flying Skills in the Automated Cockpit” with Richard Geven, Matthias Recker and Jonathan Schooler. The group studied 16 experienced pilots in both routine and non-routine flights using a Boeing 747-100 simulator; the pilots also shared their thoughts as they flew with varying levels of automation.