You said in a post standardization, training and automation has created a non-thinking robot that just follows procedures. I found that in an highly automated aircraft, one had to study even more to understand all the defaults and assumptions that were built in the automation. For example, the Boeings default to speed in a descent, Airbus defaults to a Vertical speed (if I remember correctly).

In the training dept, I found the guys who relied strictly on the automation were real weak sisters (sorry for the old term) and the guys who could use their knowledge and THINK had a walk in the park.

Is there a heavy reliance on automation that induces one to sit back and vegetate? No doubt. But it is up to the individual to have personal standards that exceed the minimum.

And finally, as noted earlier, when the automation does fail, it usually fails in a very unpredictable way. The flier who is the robot is toast. The AVIATOR still has a chance.

Happy Thanksgiving to all..