Autopilot

An aircraft control system that automatically maintains or changes flight attitude, heading, altitude, or route with limited continuous input from a human operator. It reduces routine control workload but does not replace the pilot's responsibility for the flight.

Flight control system: A system that controls an aircraft’s motion through commands to its control surfaces or other effectors. An autopilot is one way a flight control system can operate.
Attitude indicator: An instrument that displays an aircraft’s pitch and bank relative to the horizon. Attitude information lets an autopilot detect deviations from commanded pitch and bank.
Altitude hold: An autopilot mode that maintains a selected aircraft altitude. It is a common basic mode that reduces the need for continuous pitch corrections.
Manual flight: Aircraft control in which a pilot directly makes the needed steering inputs. Unlike autopilot operation, manual flight depends on ongoing pilot control inputs.
Automation complacency: Reduced vigilance that can arise when people rely heavily on automated systems. Prolonged autopilot use can weaken active monitoring of aircraft behavior and system status.
Flight director: An instrument system that displays commands for steering an aircraft along a selected flight path. It can show the guidance an autopilot follows, or present it to a pilot for manual control.
Altimeter: An instrument that indicates altitude, usually by measuring atmospheric pressure. Altitude feedback supports automatic altitude hold and altitude capture.
Heading hold: An autopilot mode that maintains a selected aircraft heading. It keeps the aircraft pointed in a chosen direction without constant manual steering.
Stability augmentation system: A system that automatically damps or corrects unwanted aircraft motion without necessarily controlling a route. It may resemble autopilot stabilization but does not by itself manage a selected flight path.
Mode confusion: A mismatch between an operator’s understanding of an automation system’s mode and its actual mode. Autopilot mode changes can produce unexpected behavior when crews misunderstand which targets are active.

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