I flew small airplanes for fun, nothing close to a fighter jet but I'll try to answer. > can't it be all automated No. Some of it certainly could, notably gea

I flew small airplanes for fun, nothing close to a fighter jet but I'll try to answer. > can't it be all automated No. Some of it certainly could, notably gear related like engine checks as in your car. And yes current systems are not very flexible, the strong bias towards "tried and trusted" does slow down the arrival of fancy electronics. But checklists also include confirming you have weather information, making sure your surroundings are clear of danger, that your fly plan is defined... This is more about checking the human component and can't be automated. > how come do pilots trust a system that has these layers of manual security checks with their lives This is the best we came up with so far. Manual checks also give you a sense of control.