You know, I have been watching this thread for quite a while as all of us have. There seems to be basically 2 types of us in here. The 1st type insists that if they were able to hand fly the aircraft with just basic instruments this never would have happened. These guys probably flew way before X-Bots came out, began in a Champ, maybe flew some ag, sweated it out flew light twins in crappy weather sleeping on an air mattress at the crash pad. They caught a lucky break to fly jets and loved every minute of it.
Then there is the other group whom I will divide into 2 subsets. Subset (1) knows they do not have 100% control of the aircraft 100% of the time since it is FBW. However they know this is a design of the manufacturer and since the manufacture has designed the aircraft to be pilot proof they know each flight is a roll of the dice but they are OK with this. They just pray nothing serious happens the system as a whole cannot handle.
Subset (2) has not only drank the KoolAid but has the KoolAid main-lined into the subclavian artery. These poor suckers pray to the god of automation almost daily, totally believing the manufacturer is all seeing and knowing. Since it knows and sees all the system has to be able to do a better job in the flying aspect and the judgment angle. I mean why would the manufacturer make something having the ability to vote out humans if this was not so?
The last group probably came from some academy and took the fast track to the airlines. Not that there is anything wrong with that.......
Anyway to make a long story short, we are screwing ourselves out of a job slowly but surely. You do not need to pay computers, they do not unionize and do not require life support.
Is this truly a step forward?
Last edited by before landing check list; 30th Jul 2011 at 03:39.