A comparative survey of the utility of cross-cockpit linkages and autoflight systems' backfeed to the control inceptors of commercial aircraft

'Fly-by-wire' (FBW) electronic flight control systems in modern commercial aircraft have removed the requirement for the primary control inceptors in the cockpit to have a cross-cockpit linkage, and also for them to be back-driven from the autoflight systems. This comparative survey of 157 commercial pilots with current type ratings on either an FBW aircraft or a conventional technology aircraft, however, suggests that the deletion of these linkages may have degraded the lines of communication in the cockpit, both between the pilots and between the pilot and the aircraft. It is argued that this may adversely affect a pilot's situation awareness.