08-30-2008
12:30 AM
4 Loves
"And I sure as hell would not want to trust my life and the life of 150 passengers to the cleanliness of the hydraulic fluid operating the rudder, and some auto-pilot which has gone through 1000s of flights."....
Hydraulic fluid is used to actuate the control surfaces. Period. It does not matter if the initiator of those control inputs is the pilot pressing on a pedal or turning the yoke, or if it is the autopilot initiating those same inputs. Either way, it's still hydraulic.
Autopilot systems are tested and/or self-tested before every flight, as well as other items that are tested at least daily such as thrust reversers, auto-rudder for single engine ops, etc.
Also, once the autopilot is engaged, if any uncommanded or undesired control inputs are observed, the pilots have numerous ways to disconnect it, most of which are, by design, quite readily at hand.
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