What's in a good headline...
« Pilots to become (sort of) obsolete, says Airbus » . Good God ! Choc, horror and indignation…
Now, I would hate to let any form of truth interfere with a good tabloid headline, but upon reading the article, I failed to find any declaration by Airbus to that effect. Au contraire, mes amis ! The author notes that, when questioned, Charles Champion, executive vice-president of engineering at Airbus in Toulouse, specifically points out that despite the company's line that an "intelligent" aircraft will do the work, that's not the full story.
"In our business safety is number one," says Champion. "This is why we would not envisage a system where the pilot is not in control of the aircraft." And the author of the article concludes by stating “By 2050, computers will be unrecognizably fast and capable, that's for sure. But they will still be fallible machines - so it is encouraging to hear Champion backing the human at the flight controls. I hope they stick to it.”
Quite a different story than Airbus announcing the obsolescence of pilots (even if “sort of”). But again, let’s not let reality distract us ! I would like therefore to contribute to the OP’s creativity with the truth by suggesting the following headlines for a few riveting future threads:
Airbus (sort of) supports pedophilia” : Too many young pilots without any training are actively encouraged to take to the skies, without the slightest regard for safety or decency standards
“Airbus (sort of) considers that (insert name of your favorite minority) have a too low IQ to competently handle their planes” : A frightening tale of discrimination and wrongdoings, cunningly plotted by your favorite manufacturer…
As for the supporting facts, well, who needs them anyway ?
Last edited by Jetdriver; 13th September 2012 at 17:00.