Definition
The current operating mode and configuration of an aircraft's automated systems — including the autopilot, flight director, autothrottle, and flight management system — that the pilot must monitor and verify to know exactly what the aircraft is doing and what it will do next.
Plain English
What the autopilot and related systems are set to do right now, and what mode they are in. Knowing automation status means you know what the aircraft is being told to fly, not just what it happens to be doing at the moment.
Context Anchor
Used during the 5P check in single-pilot flying, especially when the pilot reviews the airplane and the programmed equipment before a change in flight conditions.
Derivation
Automation comes from a word meaning something that acts by itself. Status comes from a Latin word meaning standing or condition. Together, they point to the present condition of the systems that can act or guide without constant hand control.
Why Pilots Care
Knowing the automation status prevents mode confusion and keeps the pilot actively engaged rather than surprised by unexpected system behavior.
Intuition Check
Do not assume automation status just means whether the autopilot is on or off. In this context, it means what the automated systems are currently set to do, whether they are doing it correctly, and whether the pilot understands their behavior.
Example Sentence 1
During the 5P check, the pilot reviewed automation status and confirmed the autopilot was in heading mode with altitude hold at 6,000 feet.
Example Sentence 2
A sudden change in automation status during cruise alerted the pilot that the flight management system had reverted to a basic heading mode.