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Old 16th Sep 2010, 03:13
  #579 (permalink)  
jugofpropwash
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Connecticut, USA
Age: 64
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I know this suggestion may not go over well with the pilots - and I understand their reluctance to possibly give up command and put themselves into someone else's hands. However...

If we can remotely control a mini sub in the gulf, or a rover on Mars, or a drone aircraft in Iraq - then there should be a way that in an emergency, an airliner can be remotely landed from the ground.

Now, I know that this isn't going to help if a fire gets into the electrical or hydraulics systems, or causes a structural failure - but in a case where control is lost due to not being able to see the controls or runway...

It's not just a matter of fire. I remember the case a few years back of the plane that crashed when it ran out of fuel because the pilots had been incapacitated by hypoxia. And, there's always the chance of something like 9/11 where the pilots are no longer in control of the aircraft.

Could someone flying remotely make a "perfect" landing every time? Maybe, maybe not - but to be honest, if things have hit the fan sufficiently that you would need a remotely controlled landing, then a survivable crash at an airport may be the best result you're going to get. It could at least help to avoid additional casualties on the ground.

Yes, there would have to be some way to avoid having the system hacked so some teenager on the ground doesn't decide to play flight simulator. Maybe a "dead man's switch" that would turn control over to the ground if the pilots were unresponsive?
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