How flying got smarter

Abstract

Most flying activities today are based on extensive knowledge, embodied in smart devices and algorithms to supplement and sometimes supplant pilots. Control developed in five principal stages. Initially flying was a pure craft, with high variability and low safety. In the 1930s, rules were developed, and instruments replaced human senses. Rule-based control proved inadequate to handle the complexity of WW II aircraft, and the result was the development of standard procedures. These three stages all used the human pilot to do the actual control. Two further stages use automated control. But higher stages of flying control revert to lower stages in some situations.