Amen, mongo.....at least by the definition familiar to me. There is always somebody, most frequently a lawyer, that wants to redefine the familiar word(s) to suit his agenda, though.
Maybe it would be easier to consider autonomy in the context of 1:1 scale aircraft, as the situation seems less complicated when the pilot is on-board and the R/C link is out of the picture.
I don't think there is a general public perception that a B767 is an autonomous vehicle, though it is "equipped with devices that would allow for autonomous flight" to an extent far exceeding what will soon be seen in a model aircraft. Though it is routinely flown under autopilot control and hence 'self-governing' while in that mode, I don't perceive it as autonomous because the flight crew can override the autopilot at will. Only in unusual instances (fortunately), have airliners conformed to my view of 'autonomous operation.' Examples:
- when the entire flight crew of an eastbound passenger flight snoozed as the autopilot kept the plane on heading, overflying the intended destination and continuing on to the middle of the Atlantic ocean before somebody woke up.
- when the fly-by-wire control system of a Lufthansa Airbus repeatedly commanded some bizarre maneuvering during approach (throttles back to idle and pitch up), and refused to relinquish control to the anxious flightdeck crew. Now that's autonomous!

Abel