Originally Posted by alf
If as BOAC states, modern systems are ahead of (beyond) human capability,
- my 'broadbrush' comment also takes into account the fact the the systems are extremely complex. So complex that in the case of 447, if a question on the operation of the FBW system is asked 2 years after a ? 6 minute ? disaster window, we still get conflicting answers from 'experts'. These systems (and I do accept the need for them, by the way) must operate in a way that either there is no possibility of human confusion through the cycling of their various code loops AND/OR there is a clear and available 'escape route' available to a pilot to allow a less than perfect but survivable exit from the problem. It may sound trite, but when you are trying to fly out of whatever 447 had, RVSM, PRNAV and even alpha protection CAN be dispensed with. Of course, 'acceptable risk' rears its head and we could more-or-less shrug our shoulders and say C'est la Vie', but I believe current trends suggest not.
I would also expand on Reason - the 'human condition' is changing itself with time as each generation grows up with a different tech landscape and thus we need to be constantly reviewing the way we change 'the conditions'. Anecdotally a recent thread about an email 'problem' was sorted by the poster's 9 year-old grandson arriving on the scene with an Android 'App' to solve it. In 10 years or so, said grandson could be in the RHS of a transport aircraft. Are we adapting our training philosophy at the same speed?