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Pilots will be proficient in operating their aircraft in all levels of automation. However, the level of automation used at any time should be the most appropriate to enhance safety, passenger comfort, schedule, and economy. Pilots are authorized to choose what they believe to be an appropriate level of automation.

In general, choices among levels can be guided by their functionality and the demands of the situation.

1. Where immediate, decisive, and correct control of aircraft path is required, the lowest level of automation — hand-flying without flight director guidance — will be necessary. Such instances would include escape or avoidance maneuvers and recovery from upset or unusual attitudes. With the exception of visual approaches and deliberate decisions to maintain flying proficiency, this is essentially a non-normal operation for flight guidance or FMS-generation aircraft. It should be considered a transitory mode used when the pilot perceives the aircraft is not responding to urgent aircraft demands. The pilot can establish a higher level of automation as soon as conditions permit.
2. When used with flight director guidance, hand flying is the primary takeoff and departure mode. It is also the primary mode for landings, except for autolands.
3. Where short-range tactical planning is needed (i.e., radar vectors for separation or course intercept, short-range speed or climb rate control, etc.), Mode Control or Flight Guidance inputs may be most effective. This level should be used predominantly in the terminal environment when responding to clearance changes and restrictions, including in-close approach/runway changes.
4. Autoflight coupled to the FMS/GPS is the primary mode for non-terminal operations and should be established as soon as "resume own navigation" or similar clearance is received. This level exploits programming accomplished pre-flight. Where the longer-range strategic plan is changed (i.e., initial approach and runway assignment, direct clearances, etc), Flight Management inputs remain appropriate. However, when significant modifications to route are issued by ATC, the pilot should revert, at least temporarily, to lower levels of automation.

Pilots must confirm the results of autoflight selections to prevent mode or course surprises and confusion. A selection on the Mode Control or Flight Guidance panel must be checked against its result on the Flight Mode Annunciator. An input into the FMS/GFMS-CDU must be checked against its resulting course displayed on the Nav Display, and the pilot making the input must confirm the resulting course with the other pilot prior to executing the change when feasible. And in all cases, both pilots must continue their scan to ensure the autopilot performs as directed and anticipated.

For a variety of reasons, displayed FMS legs making up a departure, arrival, or approach procedure may not correspond with charted fix names, bearings, or radials even though the database is designed to follow the same ground track. However, from time to time, pilots have encountered situations where the FMS did not fly a procedure as defined by radio navigation or in compliance with ATC expectations. Therefore, pilots must brief and cross-check charted procedures against FMS data to ensure they have selected the correct procedure and will comply with their clearance.

Before departure, thoroughly review your assigned departure and cross-check the waypoints obtained with your desired course. If you select or build a transition, verify between pilots that it matches your clearance and produces the desired track. Ask ATC for clarification if any conflict exists.

Before arriving in the terminal area, thoroughly brief the arrival and approach you expect to fly and cross-check fixes presented by the FMS against fixes depicted on the approach chart. Should the runway or approach change and you wish to use the FMS for the new approach, that same level of cross-check is essential. If time constraints or circumstances prevent your cross-check, decline the clearance or tune and identify radio aids to navigation and fly the approach in a lower level of automation.

Except for those aircraft designed to meet Required Navigation Performance (RNP) for the Approach Phase (B-737 or B-777 with Advanced FMS, for example). Flight Management Systems are certified for enroute and terminal navigation, but not for approaches. Except where prohibited by bulletin or company-specific pages in the Airway Manual, pilots may accomplish a SID and its transitions, navigate enroute, and accomplish a STAR and its transitions to the initial approach fix solely by FMS navigation, but not approaches.

Except for published FMS, GPS, and RNAV instrument approach procedures, approaches are flown relative to ground-based NAVAIDs. For all other approaches, prior to the initial approach fix, one pilot must tune, identify, and monitor (on a CDI display, where available) the navaids that define the approach. These actions are necessary to ensure the path flown by the aircraft complies with the ground track required by the approach procedure. The function of the FMS and Nav display during an approach is to assist your situation awareness -- not to fly the approach. Any discrepancy between the Nav Display or Flight Director based on FMS/GFMS guidance and raw data from navaids defining the approach must be challenged and resolved immediately. Should the ground based signal be lost, the crew must abandon that approach if in instrument conditions. On all instrument approaches inside the final approach fix in IMC weather conditions, a go-around is required whenever unreliability or full scale deflection of the ground-based approach navaids is encountered. [Note: this paragraph describes what is necessary for the pilot to comply with FMS certification.]

Specific autoflight and display modes required for precision and nonprecision approaches are specified in each aircraft flight manual. Requirements to accomplish published FMS, GPS, and RNAV instrument approaches are published in the operating manual of fleets so equipped. In addition, ground-based navaids defining a course must be tuned, identified, and monitored where specified by bulletin or company-specific pages in the Airway Manual, and when operating in Latin America below FL250. [Note: this paragraph describes additional, company-specific requirements.]

Proper use of automation will reduce your workload, freeing you to complete other tasks. Improper use will do just the opposite. Whenever possible, avoid FMS/GFMS programming during critical phases of flight. Complete as much programming as possible during low workload phases. ATC clearance changes in the terminal area directly challenge this requirement.

A departure change during taxi for takeoff requires review of the assigned departure. If the FMS is to be used for navigation during the departure, pilots must cross-check the waypoints obtained with the desired course. However, pilots may choose to navigate the departure by ground-based navaids if update and cross-check of FMS moving map displays would distract from primary ground and flight duties.

While pilots must tune, identify, and monitor all applicable approach navaids for every approach and landing, it is not necessary to update FMS moving map displays close-in to the landing airport where "heads down" data entry would distract from primary flight duties.