Plans underway for Pilotless pax A/C

[Duck-U-Suckerz]

Why Not?

My opinion;
Firstly the stats saying 70% of accidents are Human related do not take into account the amount of times around the world that a 'human' pilot saves the day just by doing some simple task in the event of a system failing, an unusual met condition, Wake turbulence, spotting some Ice on / or damage to the control surfaces / airframe. a flock of birds, another aircraft... the list gos on for ever. In short they tell us the BAD things we may have had something to do with but not all the GOOD things we did do!)

Next we have unlawful acts / interf. Since the 40s it has been possible to jam electro-magnetic signals (British counter to German Radio Nav Aids over UK airspace) since the 50s / 60s aircraft like the Avro Vulcan have had EM jamming kit so powerful it could not be used without parlimentry concent! today the UK Govenment can block all nav aids including all L1 / L2p GPS in the UK! not to mention Mobile phones, Radar, TV,.... How easy would it be for 'him who will remain name less' to fund some bright spark at a university to build devices to be placed in several tower blocks in one or more major cities, that when used against UAVs over London for example, could cause a biblical disaster! (oh by the way don't think IRS would save you as that can be sabotarged with even more ease)

Datalink could be Hacked/overpowered and commanded to cause an accident also.

Then there is the fact that no one in there right mind would get on one, it just isn't worth it! in the end when we count the costs and amount of CAA / FAA costly rules that will spring up (They will want to see proof of effective safety well in excess of ten to the minus nine). I can't see it being worth the risks, But I know there are people with money, who would like to make even more, who would love to try to get these things in to the sky and it dose frighten me.