Introduction
Optimum use of automation refers to the integrated and coordinated use of the following systems:
.  
Autopilot / flight director (AP / FD);

.  
Autothrottle/autothrust (A/THR); and,

.  
Flight management system (FMS).

Three generations of flight guidance systems are currently in airline service, providing different levels of integration and automation:

.  
A300B2/B4 and A300 FFCC families: . Partial integration (pairing) of the AP/FD and

A/THR modes; . Selected vertical and lateral modes; and, . Lateral navigation only (i.e., inertial
navigation system [INS] or FMS/GPS).
.  
A310 and A300-600 families: . Full integration of AP/FD and A/THR

modes; . Selected vertical and lateral modes; and, . Vertical and lateral navigation (FMS),

.  
A320 / A330 / A340 families: . Full integration of AP/FD - A/THR – FMS

modes (FMGS); . Selected vertical and lateral modes; and, . Managed vertical and lateral navigation in all
flight phases.
Higher levels of automation provide flight crews with an increasing number of options and strategies to choose for the task to be accomplished.
The applicable FCOM provides specific information for each aircraft type.
Statistical Data
Errors in using and managing the automatic flight system and the lack of awareness of the operating modes are causal factors in more than 20 % of approach-and-landing accidents.
AP - A/THR Integration
Integrated AP-A/THR systems feature an association (pairing) of AP pitch modes (elevator control) and A/THR modes (throttle/thrust levers control).
An integrated AP-A/THR operates in the same way as a human pilot:
.  
Elevator is used to control pitch attitude, airspeed, vertical speed, altitude, flight-path-angle, vertical navigation profile or to track a glideslope beam;

.  
Throttle/thrust levers are used to maintain a given thrust or a given airspeed.

Throughout the flight, the pilot’s objective is to fly:

.  
Performance segments at constant thrust or at idle (e.g., takeoff, climb or descent); or,

.  
Trajectory segments at constant speed (e.g., cruise or approach).

Optimum Use of Automation
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AIRBUS INDUSTRIE                                                                                       Getting to Grips with
    Flight Operations Support                                            Approach-and-Landing Accidents Reduction

Depending on the task to be accomplished, maintaining the airspeed is assigned either to the AP (elevators) or to the A/THR (throttles/thrust levers), as shown in Table 1.

 AP 
Elevators 
Performance Segment  Thrust or idle  Speed 
Trajectory Segment  Speed  V/S Vertical profile Altitude Glide slope 
　
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