Modern commercial aviation autopilot systems are so incredibly advanced that they actually control the aircraft for roughly ninety percent of the entire flight.

A closer look

Modern commercial aviation autopilot systems are so incredibly advanced that they actually control the aircraft for roughly ninety percent of the entire flight. Once the pilot manually handles the messy business of takeoff and clears the runway, they punch a few buttons and the computer seamlessly takes over the cruising, navigation, and sometimes even the landing process. The human pilots are largely there just to monitor the complex systems, talk to air traffic control, and step in if an engine suddenly catches fire over the Atlantic. You are essentially paying hundreds of dollars to sit in an autonomous flying robot while two highly trained professionals drink coffee behind a locked reinforced door. It completely shatters the romantic illusion of a rugged captain wrestling with the yoke to keep you safe in the clouds, but at least the computer will not get distracted by a sudden craving for airplane peanuts