Definition
An aircraft braking system that automatically applies the wheel brakes after touchdown at a pre-selected deceleration rate, allowing the pilot to set the desired braking level before landing rather than applying the brakes manually with the rudder pedals.
Plain English
A system that brakes the airplane for you after it lands. You choose how hard you want it to brake before you touch down, and the airplane does the rest.
Context Anchor
Seen in jet landing procedures when the crew selects an auto brake setting before touchdown to help manage stopping distance and workload after landing.
Why Pilots Care
Provides consistent, predictable stopping force that reduces pilot workload and helps prevent runway overruns during jet landings.
Intuition Check
Auto brakes do not mean the airplane is fully stopping itself without pilot control. They are a selected braking aid that the pilot can monitor, override, or disconnect.
Example Sentence 1
Before landing on the wet runway, the captain selected auto brakes to MEDIUM to ensure a consistent stopping distance.
Example Sentence 2
After touchdown the auto brakes applied steady pressure until the airplane slowed to taxi speed.