Definition
Aircraft systems that automatically control the flight path of an airplane, holding heading, altitude, vertical speed, or tracking a navigation course without continuous manual input from the pilot. Autopilots reduce pilot workload but do not replace the pilot's responsibility for monitoring the aircraft, the flight path, and the system's behavior.
Plain English
Equipment that flies the airplane for you in specific ways you select, while you supervise it. You stay in charge — the autopilot just handles the steering tasks you've told it to handle.
Context Anchor
Seen in cockpit automation, workload management, cruise flight, instrument flying, and discussions about when to use or disconnect automation.
Derivation
From 'auto' (Greek 'autos', meaning self) and 'pilot'. Literally a 'self-pilot' — a system that pilots the aircraft on its own within the limits the pilot sets.
Why Pilots Care
Autopilots reduce fatigue on long flights and allow the pilot to focus on other tasks, but they must still be monitored closely because the pilot remains responsible for the flight.
Analogy
Like cruise control in a car that keeps a steady speed so the driver can relax the foot on the gas pedal.
Intuition Check
Do not assume autopilots make the flight automatic in the full sense. They control selected parts of the airplane’s flight path; the pilot still manages the flight.
Example Sentence 1
After leveling off in cruise, the pilot engaged the autopilot to hold altitude and heading while reviewing the approach plate.
Example Sentence 2
During the approach briefing the pilot monitored the autopilot while it tracked the localizer inbound.