How do you deal with automation and technology in CRM?

From a Resilience Engineering perspective, the crew should not just act as a fallback for system failures but should be integrated components of a complex adaptive system. They should have an aptitude for 'adaptive capacity,' being prepared to switch between automated and manual modes based on emergent needs and unexpected deviations. Essentially, it's not just about being prepared to intervene when technology falters but also about having a robust understanding of the entire socio-technical system to anticipate potential issues before they escalate. A holistic approach is essential for ensuring safety and resilience, particularly as aviation systems become increasingly automated.

In my workplace (military helicopter training) we use “Armed, Engaged, Seen” to ensure the whole crew is aware of the state of the automatics. The non-handling pilot may select a parameter, arm a system, or even engage one or more channels, but only when directed with the handling pilot. This system ensures that only one person is ever “in control” of the helicopter.

The 'selected, armed, engaged' method is crucial in ensuring that distributed situation awareness is maintained and 'communicated' correctly to the system, fed back to the user, and shared to the other human crew members. Mode awareness extends further than just selecting a function, but actually ensuring the selection activates (engages), and that the system engages correctly in its intended function. Engaging the autopilot blindly without ensuring it captures the intended modes is a prime example. Selected, armed, engaged....

Many times as we go through training we work up the “automation scale” from no automation to completely automated. One thing that should be emphasized in training, especially recurrent training, is going back down that scale and going from fully automated to actually flying the aircraft. Knowing when it might be better to click off the automation is just as important as knowing when to turn it on.

A way of managing your workload is by delegating tasks to the rest of the crew, the cockpit environment is not a one man show so everyone plays a vital part in this partnership. Automation is also there for us & helps considerably when controlling workload, but remember, automation is there for us, work it to your advantage, don’t let it work you. Look at it as a task you delegated to the “autopilot”, monitor & stay in the loop, if the task you delegated is not being done as you want it to, correct it or take over, you’re the boss, not the automation.

The principle of 'learning to learn' is crucial in adapting to evolving aviation technology. It promotes resilience by encouraging learning from both failures and successes, thereby enhancing a system's adaptive capacity. Within Crew Resource Management (CRM), continuous education is key to safely incorporating new technological advancements. Multi-loop learning—single-loop to address specific errors and double-loop to scrutinise underlying assumptions—is vital. To bolster both CRM and resilience, a culture of feedback and adaptability is essential. Crew members should engage in mentorship, simulations, and collaborative learning to optimise technology use, improve performance, and maintain operational safety.

Technology complements rather than replaces human judgement, serving as an integrated asset with its own strengths and limitations. Mutual respect between technology and crew is essential, promoting a supportive team culture and a shared safety vision. Coordinated interaction ensures both human and technological resources are optimally utilised. This holistic approach forms an adaptive, resilient system capable of handling complex, evolving scenarios. By aligning human skills with technological capabilities, CRM fosters a balanced socio-technical ecosystem that enhances both safety and performance.

Resilience Engineering complements this by emphasising 'adaptive capacity,' which entails the ability to cope with complex, unpredictable scenarios. It's not merely about reacting to issues, but proactively anticipating them, recognising early warning signals, and making necessary adjustments. The crew needs to understand the boundaries of safe operation, including those of automated systems, to mitigate risks effectively. Creativity and innovation are also important, allowing crew members to explore new problem-solving strategies when conventional methods fail. This supports a culture of resilience by facilitating the capability to adapt to novel challenges, thereby contributing to the overall safety and performance of the aviation system