CRA daily operates driverless ore trains and trucks in the Pilbara (and just purchased an additional large number of trucks) apparently driven from within a warehouse in Perth.
Doubtless the have done the studies and accept the inevitable `hull loss' as a deductable business expense.
Recently had a direct entry pilot who had paid for his commercial, ATP plus his A320 rating and 200 hours on type; total around 450 hours. Doing the airline entry simulator sessions (some 15 sessions) in a B737 200/300 sim with manual thrust and little autopilot use it was clearly evident a great lacking in manipulative skills. Particularly so in maintaing the aircraft in trim and flying it; needless to say such things as the SID/Departure went by the board.
The airline he will be as an F/O with operates A320s and I strongly suggest within 6 month any manipulative skills which were refreshed will have disappeared continuing to do so as time passes.
Automatics will be the only thing which will save him in the future assuming they are correctly programmed.
Should they be monitored from the ground and with computer in `real time' monitoring then he may have a long career.
It is no use denying, refusing to accept the concepts of decreasing crew numbers in the flight deck when historically the numbers have continuously reduced and technology is daily in use doing the task.
It may be argued accepting and moving towards this concept would be a safer route to go than manual skills?
The move to MCP tends to supplement this line of thinking where actual aircraft flying skills will increasingly be replaced by simulator time.