Anti-hijacking software

[RiverCity]

My brother just sent this to me (Sunday morning). Anyone hear about it? I'd be afraid the program would lock up (as computer programs too often do) and the pilot would not be able to control the plane.

Caught the morning news from Montréal and they did a piece on a software company out of Tacoma, Washington that has developed a program whereas if the plane deviates from its planned course, a message flashes up on the Air Traffic Control tower, and also on the ground. A camera starts running in the cockpit, and a microphone also goes online. The plane is then taken over by the computer and by the automatic pilot, is brought into the nearest available airport, or it circles until it can land.

[ 21 October 2001: Message edited by: RiverCity ]

[Capt PPRuNe]

As far as I am aware all current commercial aircraft, and certainly the Boeings that I fly require human input from the flight deck to be able to perform an autoland, a fact that many of the writers of these articles seem oblivious of and therefore do not deserve the time of day as far as I am concerned. If they are unable to do even a bit of research then they only show themselves up to be typical of the dipsticks that inhabit the tabloid world.

This thread is now going to the Tech Log forum if anyone wants to discuss the issues.

[ 21 October 2001: Message edited by: Capt PPRuNe ]