Airbus A320s are everywhere, flying with highly automated cockpits

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The Airbus A320 series aircraft, which was involved in Tuesday's deadly crash in the French Alps, is one of the most widely-used aircraft in the world today.

Since its introduction in 1988, the A320 has been a pioneer in the increasing trend toward more automation in the cockpit, with new Airbus and Boeing aircraft introduced since then going further toward planes that, for the most part, nearly fly themselves.

See also: Plane crashes in France with 150 on board; no survivors expected

The A320 was the first Airbus aircraft to use the now iconic flight control "sidestick" and so-called "fly-by-wire" system, along with computer functions that prohibit the pilot from conducting certain maneuvers, depending on the mode of flight and configuration of the autopilot Read more...

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from MashableTim Chester