Embraer publishes vision of single pilot commercial aircraft

[grounded27]

As said in title and widely discussed, the global aviation market is preparing for this.


Embraer reveals vision for single-pilot airliners - 6/16/2010 - Flight Global (http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/embraer-reveals-vision-for-single-pilot-airliners-343348/)

[FE Hoppy]

2010.

You've got a few more back issues to get through.

[Ian W]

Might be best to read backwards...

NASA Advances Single Pilot Operations NASA Advances Single-Pilot Operations Concepts | Commercial Aviation content from Aviation Week (http://aviationweek.com/commercial-aviation/nasa-advances-single-pilot-operations-concepts)

NASA Rockwell Collins Studying Single Pilot Ops. Avionics Magazine :: NASA, Rockwell Collins Studying Single Pilot Ops (http://www.aviationtoday.com/av/commercial/NASA-Rockwell-Collins-Studying-Single-Pilot-Ops_83801.html#.VLp0aB32ik8)

These studies are a result of only the tip of the opinion iceberg -


if it is OK to have 'cruise pilots' who are only capable followers of magenta lines and cannot pick up the aircraft if the automatics fall over and one real pilot. Then what is the real difference with only having the automatics and one real pilot? Apart from the extra cost of having a two pilot flight crew.


As soon as it is accepted that 'less-able' P2F / cruise pilots can be PF then the argument that pilots are needed just in case the automatics fail over to them is weakened immeasurably; especially in those narrow bodies where there are only 2 flight crew.

The argument is logical, having a 'less able' probably-couldn't-recover-the-aircraft-safely FO is not logical.

[speedrestriction]

Dear Mr.Embraer,

I am intrigued by your vision of the future. I have some queries though:

1) What happens when I, the pilot need a biological comfort break?

2) Who takes the radio when I am eating my dinner?

3) How will the aircraft be refuelled with pax onboard if I am also required to perform a walkaround, completing the tech log, preparing the flight for departure?

4) A large part of successful behaviour of pilots is learned behaviour. This behaviour is learned through observation and imitation, usually a young inexperienced pilot learning from an older more experienced pilot. Piloting an aircraft involved a huge array of distinct actions which must be performed in the correct sequence, to the correct degree at specific times. The permutations and combinations of scenario and required action are innumerable. Formal training tends to consist of "do this" type of instruction which I suspect will be what you will espouse in any new training regime associated with single pilot ops. What you don't realise is that in parallel with the formal training young inexperienced pilots get informal training from line pilots. This training frequently occurs when a very specific scenario as mentioned above occurs and the inexperienced pilot does not have an appropriate skill to apply or applies an inappropriate course of action. Your single pilot airliner philosophy will not allow for this constant, incremental learning and the flightdeck of a modern civil jet airliner is no place to be learning by trial and error. I believe the gaps in your reckoning will lead to passenger deaths.

You seem not to understand the dynamic environment which is the modern flightdeck. An analogy if I might - your proposal is a unicycle. You save on some costs: only one wheel, less material required, simpler drive mechanism etc. and from a technological point of view it is perfectly feasible. How many commuters in Brasilia commute to work on a unicycle?

Yours sincerely,

Pilot (1 of 2)



PS I wish to direct your attention to the incident in 2013 involving one of your aircraft where an unsupervised pilot committed suicide by means of said aircraft in Africa. All on board perished.

[Journey Man]

I think speedrestriction raises some valid points that are never addressed by the training providers, yet we all know to be true: the licence issue is the bare minimum entry requirement, the licence to begin one's apprenticeship so to speak.

over the years I've benefited immeasurably from tips, advice and guidance from my Captains. Many have been exceptional pilots. Many have been good or okay. Some have been appalling. Yet I learnt from them all, either how to do things, or how not to. Having had command for the last five years, I've always viewed the role as one of mentorship; happy to pass on as much knowledge as I've accumulated whenever appropriate or requested.

I just don't see the modern training industry, geared towards throwing minimally qualified pilots into the right hand seat of airlines. If anything, the entire system relies on the unofficial continued training of the raw pilot by regular line captains, who aren't recompensed for the role, and therefore stands as an impediment to the single pilot airliner.

I imagine many airlines would relish the economics of this proposal, but wanting to have their cake and eat it isn't possible.

[MCDU2]

Bean counter - hello I have had a great idea. We are going to save at least 50% on our salary costs by going single pilot.
Chief pilot - great so who are we sacking?
BC - well I think the captains should go as they are the most expensive and we can save more.
CP - cool, only thing is many of the first officers are new so aren't experienced enough to fly by themselves.
BC - oh...okay get rid of the FOs then.
CP - but many of our captains are getting near retirement age so we would have to recruit to replace them shortly.
BC - Right. Aren't there any FOs that we can promote?
CP - Not really. We promoted everyone who was experienced last time around. Don't you remember that you wanted to run the airline with fewer captains to save money last year? That's why we had no reserve cover and cancelled lots of flights.
BC - but there must be some FOs that are experienced and not a captain yet?
CP - yes there are. They are the FOs that failed command and are deemed unsuitable to ever command one of our aircraft.
BC - why is that?
CP - cos they will crash.
BC - right well thanks for your time. Unfortunately I think I need to find a new chief pilot now. Good day.

[Stanwell]

Speedrestriction and MCDU2,


A round of applause... I needed a good giggle before I went to bed.

[pattern_is_full]

While they're at it, why not cut back the engines to one, as well?

I mean, jeez, an Embraer ought to fly just fine with one big ol' Trent 500 over the tail!

Redundancy? (in the U.S. sense - meaning backup, not "surplus to requirements") We don't need no stinking redundancy! In either the cockpit or on the wings.

Engines never fail, and human pilots are never incapacitated. Right?

[aterpster]

pattern is full:

While they're at it, why not cut back the engines to one, as well?

Exactly. One pilot and one engine equals circa 1925.

[Piltdown Man]

Does that mean Mr Embraer might design an aircraft that is simpler to fly (eg. regularly nine button presses for a "direct to"), won't overspeed (trend well into Mmo, auto throttle fully forwards) won't require regular software fixes, will avoid bad weather etc...