To add to what Nigel O.D. and others said, more automation during the most critical phases of flight does not mean that more safety will result, and probably much less. It often disappoints/dismays me to read that more layers of technology will always be pursued if tiny savings in operating costs can (in theory) be achieved. Our upper mgmt would let us fly airliners solo if the FAA and insurance companies could find it legally and financially feasible.
The Airbus (begun with the fly-by-wire 320 series) design philosophy seems to put much less faith in pilots (or their experience levels with some operations?) than Boeing's automation philosophy. Many of our pilots have flown both types of products.
Do most aircraft design engineers, in a general sense, look down on human pilots? If so, then it is doubtful whether very many of them have much IFR experience in a real airplane. A concept is one thing, but experience and some judgement can not necessarily be digitized, prioritized and programmed, can it?
Last edited by Ignition Override; 14th September 2003 at 12:18.