Qatar airways emergency landing after pilot suffers heart attack

[VSGJ]

http://www.qatarliving.com/forum/news/posts/qatar-airways-plane-makes-emergency-landing-hyderabad-after-crew-member-collapses

[OldLurker]

Aviation Herald:
Incident: Qatar B788 near Hyderabad on Aug 25th 2017, first officer incapacitated (http://www.avherald.com/h?article=4ad810a7)

[G-CPTN]

All you need is remote control for ATC to switch on the autoland.

If it is good enough for military drones . . . :p

[.Scott]

Hello ATC: This is a Ryanair passenger. We need some detailed advice on CPR ... and can you check me out for this 737?

[sleeper]

All you need is remote control for ATC to switch on the autoland.

If it is good enough for military drones . . . :p

With the commercial fleet as it is now, impossible.
Pilots still have to make several manipulations to make autoland possible. It is not just switching it on. Furthermore, all gear and flapsselections are still manual in todays aircraft. It would take a major refurbishment of all existing aircraft to make it possible.
Now for future aircraft? Who knows.

[Ian W]

With the commercial fleet as it is now, impossible.
Pilots still have to make several manipulations to make autoland possible. It is not just switching it on. Furthermore, all gear and flapsselections are still manual in todays aircraft. It would take a major refurbishment of all existing aircraft to make it possible.
Now for future aircraft? Who knows.

For O'Leary's ideas to be accepted, by definition the aircraft would need to be capable of totally autonomous operations should the single pilot become incapacitated. This is effectively what he is saying; the aircraft is acting as a second pilot. So it has to be accepted that the second pilot would take over should anything happen to the captain.

Of course that is the wedge where the next question from the beancounters is: why do we need a captain as the automation can do everything?
:rolleyes:

[.Scott]

With the commercial fleet as it is now, impossible.
Pilots still have to make several manipulations to make autoland possible. It is not just switching it on. Furthermore, all gear and flapsselections are still manual in todays aircraft. It would take a major refurbishment of all existing aircraft to make it possible.
Now for future aircraft? Who knows.
No problem:
http://www.sbowden.org/misc/LandingNet2.jpg

[malr]

... all gear and flaps selections are still manual in todays aircraft. It would take a major refurbishment of all existing aircraft to make it possible.

Could anybody postulate as to *why* gear and flap selections are still manual? Are the handles themselves actuating hydraulics (for safety / redundancy)? Or, do they just trigger an electrical signal that starts the gear sequence, or the flap/slat sequence?

Thanks!

[Airbubba]

Customer acceptance is a major issue for pax ops according to this recent analysis. But the freight dogs need to get an automation crew compliment clause in the CBA soon like the flight engineers did decades ago. 'Trust me, that will never happen...', 'Don't worry, the union will take care of us...' etc. ;)

Taking pilots out of the cockpit could save airlines billions. But would anyone buy a ticket?

The aviation industry could save $35 billion a year by moving to pilotless planes, according to a new report from UBS. Just one problem: The same report warns that only 17% of travelers are willing to fly without a pilot.

UBS said that the technology required to operate remote-controlled planes could appear by 2025. Further advances beyond 2030 might result in automated business jets and helicopters, and finally commercial aircraft without pilots.

"The technologies in development today will enable the aircraft to assist and back up the pilot in all the flight phases, removing the pilot from manual control and systems operations in all types of situations," the report said.

Commercial flights already land with the assistance of on-board computers, and pilots manually fly the aircraft for only a few minutes on average.

However, contrary to popular belief, airliners do not fly themselves, even when they're on autopilot. Pilots are continually monitoring and adjusting aircraft navigation and systems, communicating with air traffic control and preparing for the next phase of the flight.

The UBS analysts said the transition to pilotless planes is likely to happen over many years. Cargo planes would likely be first to incorporate the new technology, with commercial flights being the last to go pilotless. The number of pilots needed for each flight could be reduced along the way.

Pilotless planes could save airlines billions. But would anyone fly? - Aug. 7, 2017 (http://money.cnn.com/2017/08/07/technology/business/pilotless-planes-passengers/index.html)

[ChocksAwayChaps]

Devil's advocate here... Cassini seemed to manage alright being driven remotely from a billion or so miles and using out of date 20 year old technology.
Mind you, I didn't rate its landing skills so much.
:}

[casablanca]

Have seen a few drones landing in Afghanistan....wasn't impressed

[KippaLippa]

Could anybody postulate as to *why* gear and flap selections are still manual? Are the handles themselves actuating hydraulics (for safety / redundancy)? Or, do they just trigger an electrical signal that starts the gear sequence, or the flap/slat sequence?

Thanks!

hello,

speaking of airbus...
The gear and flaps controls are only electrical switches concealed underneath old fashioned shaped levers.
The shapes are those the pilots are used to see and recognize.
If they were all identical buttons we humans could make some confusion.
you ask why, for the very same reason they still install two pilots seats up there. And double flight controls for them as well.
meaning, the engineers are still designing aircrafts starting with the idea that two pilots will be flying them.
As recent events have shown commercial pilots are already struggling in maintaining an acceptable level of basic flying skills.
by making flaps/gear extension automatic the whole approach will need to become automatic.
so the two spectators of the show for 99.5% of the flight would become spectators for 99.999% of it. thus truly becoming some two extra non-paying passengers.
and they are sitting where it costs the most....
best view, highest fuel burn.

Regards,

KL

[Lepo]

Could anybody postulate as to *why* gear and flap selections are still manual? Are the handles themselves actuating hydraulics (for safety / redundancy)? Or, do they just trigger an electrical signal that starts the gear sequence, or the flap/slat sequence?

Thanks!

Gear and flaps are not used the same way on every approach.

You may use them earlier or later according to operational needs, atc requests, energy management and etc.

[megan]

Anyone suggesting autonomous aircraft for airlines just ask em how it would handle QF38. Warm bodies in the front row for this SLF.

[ironbutt57]

Anyone suggesting autonomous aircraft for airlines just ask em how it would handle QF38. Warm bodies in the front row for this SLF.


yup...that would sure be interesting

[Talparc]

Here is the answer:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_Honeywell_Uninterruptible_Autopilot

[FoxForce44]

Are we really talking about this subject? For those who thinks that we are just a few years close of the "NOFO" future, better take a look at the "product certification" process (or part 25 as you wish). And please, don't come with the concept of cheap VLJ's certified by the 23...