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Old 19th Sep 2010, 12:07
  #607 (permalink)  
voyageur9
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: washington dc
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so it can be done, what's the next step

.... that functionality exists at present. The aircraft I fly will capture, autoland, and autobrake to a full stop on the runway, no human intervention necessary. The configuration changes however, flaps and gear, reverse thrust, are still necessary, the autopilots also need to be armed at the appropriate time during the approach sequence, all things great and small being a ‘go’, as determined by the aircraft commander.
So, IF it can be done from a technical/engineering standpoint, then is the issue solely whether (or when) it becomes advantageous from a cost-benefit standpoint. Does that portend a progression to aircraft "commanders" on the ground, handling various aircraft (perhaps in shifts) and still making those 'go' decisions but not from the cockpit. And is that a 'bad' thing in terms of safety?
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