Word: autopilot
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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Lear Inc.'s F-5 autopilot is much lighter (weight, less than 55 lbs.) than its predecessors, and so small (volume, 1 cu. ft.) that its parts have to be assembled by watchmakers' methods. When the plane is once in the air, the pilot can point it on its compass heading, turn on the autopilot, and relax as far as flying is concerned...
Designers of landing systems hope that most of the disadvantages can be eliminated by the automatic pilot. Already the autopilot flies many airliners on long, boring hops, keeping them on course by its own gyroscopic control of the aircraft. It responds more promptly than a human pilot. Instrument men believe that it could be made to listen for electronic orders and follow them down to the ground...