PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Boeing reports that Asia will need 240,000 pilots in next 20 years
Old 3rd Sep 2018, 02:05
  #36 (permalink)  
krismiler
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Asia
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The capability exists for automatic take off but as there is little benefit, unlike auto land, the technology hasn't been adopted.

Pilot less aircraft would work if nothing went wrong which required a response to an event which hadn't previously been programmed into the artificial intelligence controlling the aircraft and we are a long way from that level at the moment. The first step would be control by a human operator on the ground and even this is still a long way off. Military drones need to be controlled by an operator nearby for take off and landing as the lag in response times is unacceptable. The drone over Afghanistan being piloted by an operator in a base in Nevada needs to be handed over at the end of the mission to someone onsite who bring it back onto the ground.

Airlines would need to station their own pilots at every port they fly into or train and licence local operators to provide coverage. Enroute control could be done from home base as response times aren't as critical in the cruise.
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