Which electronic device is used to maintain control of the aircraft when desired by the flight deck crew?

• A. Auto Pilot
• B. Auto Throttle
• C. Flight Director
• D. Stabilizer

Answer: (A)

Automatic flight control is the feature that lets the airplane fly a chosen path without the pilots having to manually steer it. The electronic device used to maintain that control when the flight deck crew wants is the autopilot. When engaged, the autopilot takes over the primary flight path control and uses mode selections (like altitude hold, heading/track hold, vertical speed, or navigation) to keep the aircraft on the commanded path. It can work with auto-throttle to manage speed, reducing pilot workload on long flights. The other options don’t perform the full path-control role: auto throttle manages thrust, not the flight path by itself; the flight director provides guidance cues but does not fly the aircraft automatically; the stabilizer is a trim/positioning surface and does not automatically maintain the flight path.