A rotorcraft comprising: a rotor system producing thrust along an axis of the rotorcraft; a flight control computer operable to control flight of the rotorcraft along the axis according to an active flight mode of a plurality of flight modes; pilot flight controls (231, 233, 239) electrically coupled to the flight control computer, the flight control computer operable to select a first selected flight mode from a first subset of the plurality of flight modes according to input from the pilot flight controls (231, 233, 239); and an instrument panel electrically coupled to the flight control computer, the flight control computer operable to receive a flight mode selection signal from a flight director of the instrument panel in response to the flight director selecting a second selected flight mode from a second subset of the plurality of flight modes, the second subset different from the first subset; wherein the flight control computer is configured to: set the active flight mode to the first selected flight mode, or to the second selected flight mode in response to the flight director being coupled to the flight control computer and controlling flight of the rotorcraft; display a first indicator on the instrument panel in response to the active flight mode being set to the first selected flight mode from the first subset of the plurality of flight modes; display a second indicator on the instrument panel in response to the active flight mode being set to the second selected flight mode from the second subset of the plurality of flight modes, the second indicator different from the first indicator; and control flight of the rotorcraft along the axis according to the active flight mode. a rotor system producing thrust along an axis of the rotorcraft; a flight control computer operable to control flight of the rotorcraft along the axis according to an active flight mode of a plurality of flight modes; pilot flight controls (231, 233, 239) electrically coupled to the flight control computer, the flight control computer operable to select a first selected flight mode from a first subset of the plurality of flight modes according to input from the pilot flight controls (231, 233, 239); and an instrument panel electrically coupled to the flight control computer, the flight control computer operable to receive a flight mode selection signal from a flight director of the instrument panel in response to the flight director selecting a second selected flight mode from a second subset of the plurality of flight modes, the second subset different from the first subset; wherein the flight control computer is configured to: set the active flight mode to the first selected flight mode, or to the second selected flight mode in response to the flight director being coupled to the flight control computer and controlling flight of the rotorcraft; display a first indicator on the instrument panel in response to the active flight mode being set to the first selected flight mode from the first subset of the plurality of flight modes; display a second indicator on the instrument panel in response to the active flight mode being set to the second selected flight mode from the second subset of the plurality of flight modes, the second indicator different from the first indicator; and control flight of the rotorcraft along the axis according to the active flight mode. set the active flight mode to the first selected flight mode, or to the second selected flight mode in response to the flight director being coupled to the flight control computer and controlling flight of the rotorcraft; display a first indicator on the instrument panel in response to the active flight mode being set to the first selected flight mode from the first subset of the plurality of flight modes; display a second indicator on the instrument panel in response to the active flight mode being set to the second selected flight mode from the second subset of the plurality of flight modes, the second indicator different from the first indicator; and control flight of the rotorcraft along the axis according to the active flight mode.