Inside the cockpit.. Is the autopilot working and the captain sleeping?

There are many misconceptions in the world of aviation that do not reflect the reality of what is happening inside the cockpit. Most prominent among them is the belief that turning on the autopilot means leaving the plane to handle the rest of the task on its own. (Watch the video clip above) Abdulaziz Al-Shuail, a Kuwaiti pilot captain, explained in an interview with the Ofoq News website in Arabic, that programming the autopilot system falls within the responsibilities of the pilot himself, in addition to monitoring the progress of the flight, communicating with the control tower, and verifying the status of what is known as the “Flight Mode Annunciator,” or “Airplane Status Indicator.”

It is also a misconception to believe that a pilot must be a “genius” in mathematics. Al-Shuail, owner of the “abdulaziz_alshoail” account, said on the Instagram platform: “The mathematics required in the field of aviation is not complicated, but it requires discipline, focus, and presence of mind, in addition to continuous review while studying.”

He added: "Modern aviation does not diminish the importance of the pilot, but rather requires a high level of understanding and discipline from him."