Modern aviation technology lets the plane take over 70 percent of the flying from the pilot
The technology inside the cockpit of an airplane has spearheaded improvements in the aviation industry and placed a large portion of the flying duties on the aircraft.
While the fuselage, nose, tail and wings have changed very little over the years, the most significant change in aircraft has been inside the cockpit, said Jim Williams, vice president of Stevens Aviation.
The cockpit of today is all glass, digital and high-definition, he said. “The technology inside a modern airplane is more advanced than the analog equipment used in the space shuttle.”
Avionics technology is progressing at a rapid rate, Williams said. A new cockpit installed today would be obsolete in two years, he said. Although the technology is not as fast as computers, it has changed more in the last 10 years than it ever has.
As the technology has evolved, its greatest impact could be in an airplane’s navigation capabilities, Williams said. Navigation improvements, along with the proper GPS systems, would enable near 100 percent accuracy in identifying the plane’s location, he said.
[WATCH: See our interview with vice president of Stevens Aviation Jim Williams as he gives UBJ a tour of the 21st-century cockpit. Video by Susana Shetler]
The airplanes will be able to broadcast location, altitude to air speed, direction, and intended flight plan, he said. The flight specifications have become a mandate of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) by 2020.
At one time, 90 percent of the flying responsibilities fell on the pilot, using information imparted by the needle (the turn coordinator), ball (which tells the pilot if the wings are level) and air speed (how fast the plane is moving), Williams said.
The contemporary airplane provides a level of avionics technology that lets the plane itself take over 70 percent of the flying duties, he said.
Despite the evolving technology making flight safer, more reliable and efficient, the pilot remains the most vital piece of any aircraft, Williams said.
The two most critical times of any flight are takeoff and landing, and the pilot is in total control of a plane during that time, he said. “When something goes wrong such as an engine failure or bird strike, you will need someone who can think outside the box.”
While the aviation industry is expanding throughout the Upstate, Stevens Aviation’s role as a local distributor of avionics technology extends nearly 1,000 miles from its location in Greenville’s South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center (SCTAC).
Stevens Aviation has five U.S. locations within an 800-mile radius, Williams said.
Airplanes inside that radius will fly into SCTAC for avionics, maintenance, overhauls and repairs, he said. Stevens Aviation is a distributor for Honeywell, Rockwell Collins and Universal Avionics.
Although Stevens Aviation delivers services beyond the Upstate, the company also provides products and maintenance to many regional businesses.
“We service Michelin’s airplanes, Milliken’s airplanes, and airplanes from Special Services Corporation,” Williams said.
