Glass panels, autopilots, and AI-powered EFBs have made general aviation safer in many measurable ways, but they have quietly created a new and dangerous kind of pilot, one who manages the aircraft instead of flying it. In the wake of the FAA’s March 2025 General and Business Aviation Call to Action, where the FAA deputy administrator, Chris Rocheleau, declared that complacency is the enemy of safety, this session discusses what that complacency looks like in the cockpit and what flight instructors can do about it. Through three NTSB case studies, current accident data, and peer-reviewed research, this presentation examines how automation dependency develops, how it fails, and why the CFI remains the only line of defense that no app or avionics suite can replace. Listeners will leave with a practical heads-up flying instructional framework they can implement in their next lesson, because the aircraft doesn’t care what’s on the flight director when things go wrong. NAFI Session type: Forum — Skyfarer is not affiliated with the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) or EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. This session is listed for informational purposes from the official AirVenture 2026 schedule. Times and locations can change during the event — verify on the official session page: https://events.rdmobile.com/Sessions/Details/3567440

Airport(s)

KOSH