Why do aircraft cockpits have so many buttons and switches? What do all those actually control and are they all used?
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Airplanes are simply different than cars that you are likely used to. For example car lights can have headlights, running lights, high beams, cabin lights, etc all on one control. For my plane I have beacons, nav lights, strobes, panel lights, instrument lights, cabin lights, two separate landing lights (one is in the retractable nose gear, one is on the cowl). Each of these has a separate switch.
Why all on separate switches? Well if I have a failure, say a short, I can isolate that one system super easy while I let the others run. It is also super easy to only run the one system I want if that is all I want. I can run the fixed landing light without running the one that is retracted (some planes have systems that supposedly turn the retracted light off, some don’t). I can turn on the navigation lights without the strobe if I am in clouds or fog, or just taxiing past someone so I don’t blind them.
Also, if I have an alternator failure I can shed load to let my battery last longer to keep things like my radios running while turning off things I don’t need.
Next, my plane has basically three radios, your car has one. I also have an audio panel that works as your cars radio’s built in fader. That panel also allows me to decide which radio is in what condition. For example I can listen and talk on one radio while I just listen to the second radio. I can also set my panel up so I am talking and listening on one radio and my FO is talking and listening on another radio totally independently of me.
In your car you don’t need more than one radio I need several. (Two communications radios, two nav radios, one or two transponders, at least one GPS, and a radio panel).
I have to have equipment you don’t need in a car. I have a radio that is called a transponder that responds to ATC with a code. So when I contact ATC they give me a code and I have to dial it into that radio… Say they give me 3434. Then when ATC sends out a pulse, my plane responds back with ‘3434 altitude 20,000 feet’. Think of it as playing ‘Marco Polo’ where you respond with your name so the person who is blindfolded knows where you are.
Next I have engine instruments that are on the dash instead of hidden on the floor. And you have gas and brake, I have throttle, mixture, and RPM. Your car does your mixture for itself, I have to do my own mixture. I have a set of three levers for each engine.
But not all planes are like this. Google a J3 Cub instrument panel. https://foxbatpilot.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/j-3-panel.jpg
It has engine RPM, Airspeed, a compass, Altimeter, and an oil pressure and temperature gauge.
Speaking of compass. I have two. One wet compass and one gyro compass. The wet compass is subject to certain errors like moving when I speed up or slow down, or actually turning the wrong way when I make a turn at first! So I have a gyro stabilized compass and I use the wet compass only on level flight to set the gyro one.
Lastly, when you look at a plane that has to have two pilots, each pilot has to have their own set of flight instruments. So each pilot is going to have an airspeed indicator, altimeter..etc. And these are redundant systems. So my airspeed indicator and my co-pilots are independent. If mine breaks, his will still work and vice versa. My artificial horizon one is powered by the vacuum system, the other is electric.
Oh and unlike your car, I have immediate access to all of my circuit breakers (ok most). I’ll bet you it takes a second or two to even find them in your car. I have to know where they are and check them before every flight.
Trust me, none of those switches are ignored.
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