AS A whole generation grows up on touch-screen technology, more and more manual functions are being replaced by swiping.

In the aeroplane cockpit, however - despite huge investment being made into touchscreen research by major players - the mechanical switch isn’t going away.
Plane cockpits are home to hundreds of switches, designed with different textures, heights, sizes or shapes. The differences are intentional - and pilots develop ‘muscle memory’ during training that is vital to their swift and accurate use of the cockpit controls.

Some examples of the different switches include pushbuttons to start an automated process, toggle switches for on-off functions, rotary switches or rockers for mode selectors, and potentiometers for fine controls.

When a movement is repeated again and again - like the actions of driving a car or playing a tune on a piano - the brain stores a cache of tasks for your muscles to enact. ‘Muscle memory’ leads to frequently-practised sequences becoming automatic; they’re an incredibly efficient kind of learning.
So when pilots do their pre-flight cockpit setup and approach set-up, they use sequences known as ‘flows’ - dozens of steps performed from muscle memory.
In aircraft ‘flows’, the pilot’s hand follows an established pattern across the the controls of the aircraft. Some pilots report that they can still repeat flows they learned 30 years earlier whilst in training.

Mechanical switches are arranged in an order that backs up these flows; so the pilot can complete complex sequences in seconds - pulling levers, flipping switches, twisting keys and pushing the throttle. Each action is rewarded with a mechanical movement or sound.
There’s also the issue of turbulence. Anyone who has fumbled with their tablet on a bumpy train ride can appreciate how turbulence could jeopardise flight safety. If your in-flight drink is spilling, imagine trying to use a touchscreen - a pilot whose head is bumping on the ceiling can still adjust switches and knobs safely and without error, even in turbulence.

In the worst case scenario of an emergency, a pilot’s muscle memory is vital - along with the tactile feedback given by mechanical switches. It is this memory that gets the pilot’s hand to the right spot when it’s needed, even without looking. When throwing a couple of dozen switches - fast - in an emergency, the touch feedback of a switch is vital. And a thrown switch can be quickly verified afterwards by just a quick glance.
Coupled with the outside chance of computer failure - what happens if the touch screen ‘crashes’? - traditional switches obviously have the edge.
So although technology is always evolving, in aviation applications the first priority is safety and reliability. Switches like the ones supplied by Nexus to the aviation industry have proved themselves time and time again.

For example, the Electronic Hardware Company of New York supplies the largest variety of aerospace plastic knobs, aircraft plastic knobs, instrument and military knobs in the USA. Its distributors in the US include Associated Aircraft Supply Company and Align Aerospace, and its products are familiar to pilots worldwide.
Nexus supplies EHC products to the UK, Ireland and Europe, and can work with engineers and designers to configure the perfect solution.
To browse our EHC products click here http://nexuscomponents.co.uk/Manufacturers/Products/EHC

Photo by Blake Guidry on Unsplash