A jet's autopilot function seems like something the pilot hopes they never have to use, but when the s#$t hits the turbine and a pilot ends up unconscious they're glad the autopilot is there.
This recently declassified Air Force video shows heads-up display footage as an F-16 pilot is saved from a fiery death by the jet's Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System
Aviation Week reports on what's happening in this video:
the F-16 student pilot started to pull up for a barrel roll, but was forced into a G-induced loss of consciousness half-way through the maneuver. At an altitude of 5,180 meters (17,000 feet), the jet then began to drop nose-first at an angle of 55 degrees. Within seconds, it had dropped to just 2,670 meters (8,760 feet). At the fastest point of descent, the jet was traveling at 1,210 kilometers (750 miles) per hour – only marginally less than supersonic speeds.
Just as the fate of the pilot seemed doomed, the aircraft’s Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System kicks in, causing the jet to swoop upright and regain control, seen in the video around the 0:32 minute mark. This is the fourth time this technology has saved an aircraft.
-Via IFL Science