Airframe and engine design hasn’t changed much in the past decades and, apart from the opportunities provided by electric propulsion, likely won’t progress dramatically in the near future. The design of avionics and the way pilots control the increasingly electronic aircraft they fly, however, are on a rapid pace of advancement. The future of avionics is not just coming: it is already here and profoundly affecting the way we fly.
One of the most interesting developments is the declining cost of advanced flight control systems—autopilots—and how some are nearly morphing into fly-by-wire controls. This ultimately will make flying easier and will enable more people to become safe pilots without the enormous training burden that today’s pilots must endure. The technical term for this is simplified vehicle operations (SVO), and it has applications in all segments of aviation, especially upcoming advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft.
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