In 1931, American aviator Wiley Post flew his single-engine
Lockheed Vega -- the "Winnie Mae" -- around the world in a
record eight days, 15 hours and 51 minutes. Post had a navigator
by the name of Harold Gatty to help him stay alert and fight
fatigue on that historic flight. But when Post became the first
person to fly solo around the world in 1933, he had to do
everything without an extra pair of hands. The secret to his
success, or at least one of his secrets, was a simple autopilot
that steered the plane while he rested. Airplane Image Gallery
Today, autopilots are sophisticated systems that perform the
same duties as a highly trained pilot. In fact, for some in-
flight routines and procedures, autopilots are even better than
a pair of human hands. They don't just make flights smoother --
they make them safer and more efficient. In this article, we'll
look at how autopilots work by examining their main components,
how they work together -- and what happens if they fail.