Definition
Automation Management is the pilot's deliberate control of the aircraft's automated systems — autopilot, flight director, GPS, autothrottle, and flight management computers — including knowing how to program them, when to use them, when to turn them off, and how to monitor what they are doing. It is one of the components of Single-Pilot Resource Management (SRM) and treats automation as a tool the pilot directs, not a system the pilot follows.
Plain English
Knowing how to use the aircraft's automatic systems properly: setting them up correctly, watching them do the job, and being ready to take over by hand when needed.
Context Anchor
Seen in single-pilot resource management discussions, especially when a pilot is using an autopilot, GPS, or cockpit display while also flying, navigating, and communicating.
Derivation
From Latin 'automatus' (self-acting) and 'manus' (hand) — literally 'handling the self-acting systems.' The pairing is useful: even though automation acts on its own, the pilot still has to keep a hand on it.
Why Pilots Care
Poor automation management can lead to loss of situational awareness or over-reliance on systems that may fail or provide misleading information.
Intuition Check
Do not read Automation Management as “letting the airplane handle it.” It means the pilot is still in charge while using automation as a tool.
Example Sentence 1
Good automation management means knowing when to engage the autopilot to reduce workload — and knowing when to disconnect it and hand-fly the approach.
Example Sentence 2
On approach the pilot reduced automation use to maintain a higher level of hands-on control and awareness in changing weather.