ferris
I have no intention of getting into a pissing argument with you. I was responding to your point that the Global Hawk needs a pilot. I have quite clearly shown it doesn’t. Yes I did not the term “can”. This would indicate that it may be remotely piloted from the ground if need be. It also indicates that it doesn’t need to be as well. If commanders in the field need to rush a lot of them into action, they don’t need to have trained pilots.
In regards to the current technology being used it is fair to say that it is very much in its infancy. To make the system viable a great deal needs to be done in the advancement of artificial intelligence. The machine needs to be able to think for itself, as the environment it operates in is too dynamic for current technology to work completely autonomously. I am aware of one Global Hawk that has been lost. Whether it could have been fixed or overcome if there was a pilot on board, who knows? All I do know is if this had happened on a commercial airliner with pax on board, it would probably spell the end of its development. At the end of the day the airlines need to operate their aircraft profitably. I would has it a guess that the cost to insure one of these things would far outweigh the cost benefits of having no pilots or saving on overnight accommodation and allowances if the thing is remotely piloted from the ground. Remember that all innovations in this industry and in many others come to fruition because there is a direct cost benefit. If there isn’t, the idea won’t get off the ground. My best guess is that the roll of the pilot will become more managerial but he or she will still have the ability to intervene where necessary. It may be that there is only one pilot but there will always be a pilot on board, at least in my lifetime.