Bealzebub:- I see you are also not sure of how much should be "automated" You mention my understanding of TCAS and the fact it does not take over. Which is correct. I said ""In my opinion at that point both aircraft TCAS systems should have told the pilots "TCAS.. I have control..HANG ON!!!" and the systems should have taken control of both aircraft and only released control when the near miss was over"" However I qualified it later in my post by saying ""But that can't happen without TCAS being a multiple redundant system and being a lot more complicated than it is already.""
However you stated ""If things have deteriorated to the point that TCAS has issued a resolution, then that really must be followed"" as in if you HAVE to do what TCAS tells you then why not cut out the middle man (pilot) and let it do it for you?
It is an interesting dilema is it not?
arcniz:- You know what is going to happen in aviation don't you?.. There is going to be a steady increase in the complexity of the onboard systems so passengers can be transported more cost effectivly and safe but to make it all work they will have to add yet another onboard computer at a cost of say $98,000 a year to help monitor all those systems. (3rd guy at the pointy end...)
I have thought about this for several days now and I think commercial aviation is now a tried and tested "mature" technology. If there were any major changes needed they would have happened by now.
Look at Personal Computers, they crashed regularly in 1982, they still crash now... but they do it in style!
Anything "automated" that is now added to aviation is iceing on the cake, it is the safest way to travel, and I think that even includes walking/passenger miles,