Pilotless Aircraft?

[AmericanFlyer]

https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/self-flying-planes-may-arrive-sooner-you-think-here-s-ncna809856

[Googlebug]

The laws are not in place yet. Even if they were the procedures are not with ATC. A pilotless plane would basically being piloted by ATC, top of decent climb clearances etc. Any return to home functions / controlled from the ground needs security that’s in hackable, and needs bandwidth that there’s just not enough of at the moment. Then even if they sorted that out and the demand from airlines was there. The lead time for production, testing to delivery has to be c10 years for the first coming off the line.
I predict thoese I the career at the moment are fairly safe. Perhaps 40/50 years from now.

[CurtainTwitcher]

What could possibly go wrong? Just wait until the first remote control hack crash, a terrorist won't even need to pass through security.

I don't think they have solved the problem of ANY computer being hack proof: FBI Agent Says No Computer is Safe (http://www.govtech.com/security/FBI-Agent-Says-No-Computer-is-Safe.html).

[ATC Watcher]

Lots of BS in that article, based on the usual fancy PR stunts by companies that want to show they are on the "top edge of technology" But this paragraph below is interesting . If the guy and industry really believe this, then we are in trouble.
“Sully was an awesome pilot, and did the right things,” says Atkins. “That said, the reason he needed to do those things is because that very simple mathematical code was not on that airplane.” Data indicating the plane’s position and speed, as well as the fact that it had lost thrust, could have “triggered the software” to execute a safe runway landing, she says.

[ShotOne]

I had occasion to use the toilet in the very modern and very nice B787. It flushed continuously. When the experts can't yet come up with an automatic toilet flush which works reliably isn't it a bit early to be firing off automatic airliners around the world?

It's worth pointing out also, that the current generation of pilotless military aircraft have a very high accident rate.

[Duchess_Driver]

the current generation of pilotless military aircraft have a very high accident rate.

Not wishing to appear contradictory or inflammatory but be interested to see the evidence on which that statement is based. Are there any statistics yet for civilian 'drones' - either remotely piloted or autonomous that have gone 'AWOL'?

[ATC Watcher]

but be interested to see the evidence on which that statement is based
Couple of years ago ( 2015 ?) , during a NATO briefing in Brussels ,NATO members reported a 30% attrition rate across the range..
I do not believe this percentage has decreased.

One of their latest "big one " last June . Still unexplained.
U.S. Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk Drone Crashes in California - The Drive (http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/11755/u-s-air-force-global-hawk-drone-crashes-in-california)

[andrasz]

I don't think they have solved the problem of ANY computer being hack proof


This statement is not entirely true. Any computer that cannot be controlled remotely is absolutely hack-proof. The the problem arises with remote access authentication. The most widely accepted secure method at present is to have a remote physical authentication device which cannot be replicated (eg. the tokens banks issue to clients), and only the person in posession of said device may issue commands. Theoretically the security key generated by these devices could be broken, however at present the combined computing power of all supercomputers in existence would be insufficient to do so..

[Herod]

Don't we go around this topic about every six months?

[Fox_one]

Let's face it, if pilotless aircraft do "eventually" come in it will for economical reasons rather than for safety.

What we need is less automation,not more, combined with better pilot training. Our job as pilots is almost always misunderstood, our role involves much more than "flying" and I don't believe any computer can replace a competent and experienced crew.

Here's a rather chilling article on the safety of military drones:

When drones fall from the sky | The Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/investigative/2014/06/20/when-drones-fall-from-the-sky/?utm_term=.f9689aacfbc6)

[aox]

50 or 200 million worth of aeroplane, ultra low interest rates to help pay for it, and can't afford to pay a pilot?

Are they they going to save even more on staff by having vending machines in there to serve the food?

Start by trying to get Trump to agree no pilots on Air Force One.

[Huck]

Don't we go around this topic about every six months?

Yes. For the 15 years that I've been coming here......