Tesla fans will say "Autopilot in planes isn't much more than glorified cruise control," but they miss the point. What matters is what people think when they hear "autopilot," and Tesla AP or even NoA is nowhere close to that perception.
There are no aircraft autopilots which are permitted to be used for takeoff. None. Zero. Nada. Full stop.
There are no aircraft autopilots which can be used for a fully hands-off landing. Doing that would require a "Category IIIc" certified autopilot and IIIc precision approach. The FAA recently (a few months ago) removed the definition of IIIc. Why? Because, 30 years after being defined, there are ZERO autopilots certified to do that and ZERO IIIc approaches for them to use.
Among those autopilots with a low decision height (when the pilot takes over), all require a so-called "precision approach". That, in turn, requires a specialized radio beacon at the end of the runway (GPS is not sufficient).
Additionally, there is exactly one type of airplane in the world, no longer in production, (the Airbus A380) that can automatically take evasive action if it detects another airplane on a collision course.
It's well beyond time to admit that, whatever you feel about Tesla, their "autopilot" is no less sophisticated than an aircraft autopilot.
Autoland is a common capability on many aircraft, and it is commonly used in inclement weather.
I don't know what you are talking about with the A380. I have never heard about it being able to fly a TCAS RA maneuver (collision avoidance) on autopilot.
The A350 can handle TCAS RA maneuvers on autopilot. It can also fly windshear escape maneuvers on autopilot.
You’re intentionally misrepresenting reality for what I suspect is some ideological fondness of Tesla.
Sure, no _commercial_ plane can take off with autopilot, but such planes exist[1].
But, saying Cat IIIc is required for hands off landing is silly. It’s required for hands off landing in the absolute worst conditions. It’s needed only when conditions are so bad that you can’t safely taxi and you’ll be stuck on the runway. That’s why it’s not used.
I don't think that really matters when you're marketing to the public. Using language that people perceive in a way that benefits you, and then claiming it was the customers fault for not understanding the technical meaning and reality of the words you used is at least unethical and possibly illegal.
If I make a chocolate bar and tell everyone it cures cancer, I shouldn't be able to wriggle out of lawsuits by saying "cures" doesn't actually mean "stops a disease" with some complex medical jargon.
