Lemper, I agree ... History is littered with the 'failure of imagination' - that is, to believe that futuristic developments are merely sci-fi dreams that reside in la-la land. But it is a common fallacy to think that just because some things that were thought impossible are now commonplace, that therefore anything that was thought impossible will eventually be achievable. It just ain't so. Ever tried unscrambling an egg?
My point was that the technology needed to render the whole air transport system completely pilotless may just be prohibitively expensive. I have no doubt that absolutely unimaginable advances in our industry are possible - given a blank cheque and say, the gross national product of a small country.
Call me old-fashioned, but being a paid up member of the old f#rt's club, I would prefer that when something is going badly wrong up front, that the person responsible for arranging my return to earth has his @rse up there with me ... rather than at that precise moment sitting drinking a caffe latte in some bar in silicon valley.
Merry Christmas!