Airbus + Cathay working on Single Pilot during Cruise with A350

[vilas]

Uplinker

All concerns are justified but examples quoted are wrong on many counts. First, number in front doesn't help. AF447 was crashed by two in front. SFO crashed with three in front. Qantas 747 400 was stalled three times in a hold near HongKong by three in front who not only didn't know the correct holding speed they erased the speed that was in FMS to insert wrong speed and whose combined experience was 40000hrs. So let's put more the merrier theory to bed.
Second, I am very sure Airbus doesn't want to repeat 737MAX saga by shelling out billions to squash the case.
Third, the bogey of EMER DES is not applicable to A350 because if the system cannot prevent the cabin pressure loss and estimates cabin altitude to rise beyond 10000ft in 10seconds it arms the auto EMER DES and if not cancelled or activated, at 15 seconds performs EMER DES without any initiation from pilot that includes cabin announcement, commencing descent to MORA/10000ft, offsetting track by 2.5nm, turning radar tilt down and squacking7700. And if there TCAS RA on the way down it will perform the escape automatically. Unreliable speed is not going to happen either because it has another set of pitot static in the engine that gives alternate speed if that also fails then from GW, CG and lift equation it gives you back up speed. All changes are automatic, the pilot notwithstanding one or two is just informed about the change. All he does may be say thank you and order coffee. AP can be engaged even after dual engine flame out.
Four, Airbus has already done 550hrs on ATTOL Automated Taxi Takeoff and Landing program where the pilot only started in the engines(I hope so) rest of the flight was done automatically. So there may be more automatics on the way in these trials. Offcourse no matter how safe it will be a conflict of interest for the community and no one is going to like it. Boeing may be the biggest opponent of this because as of now they don't have an equivalent. But should it come through they won't remain far behind.