Single Pilot plant for the A350
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Cathay wants the pilots they hire now with little or no training, qualifications, abilities or any idea or exposure to aviation prior to cadeting at cathay to be all alone up there at 37,000 feet with 300 passengers and the other pilot in deep sleep?😂
It would be a very efficient way of cleaning the gene pool though. All those on board who will perish would be the dumbest of the dumb. Not a bad idea actually. Darwin would love it.
Keep in mind several local hong kongers throw themselves off buildings every year because some girl dumps them or they'rehaving financial problems etc. And this is the targeted pool of cathay newhires with the new local terms only compensation package they have in place... to be at controls all alone for long periods at cruise altitudes.
There are so many crashes due to a pilot deciding to commit suicide and a lot more which has been prevented only by immediate reaction of the other pilot. We have a few sim instructors here at cathay who lost their
while flying and that's how they were medically grounded hence becoming sim instructors (super nice guys with a wealth of knowledge and ability). Each and every one of those would have been a hull loss of not for the other pilot. This is what one of them told me while telling the story of what happened on that faithful flight when he snapped and had to be physically restrained out of the flight deck after he attempted to dive the aircraft from cruise altitude.
Ask the US airforce why they don't yet even consider putting live bodies on any of their pilot-less planes or even fly ANY of their live body carrying purposed aircraft (not fighters) with just one pilot on duty at any phase of the flight. Admittedly their threshold and tolerance for risk is much much higher than commercial aviation and their safety record speaks loud about what losses they're willing to accept. But even THEY don't yet even suggest what cathay and airbus are tripping about.
If you're the only one going for a radical idea while none of the others are even showing interest in that idea, there's your clue you're in danger territory.
The dire consequences of this idiocy could not happen to a more deserving management team than cathay's.
It would be a very efficient way of cleaning the gene pool though. All those on board who will perish would be the dumbest of the dumb. Not a bad idea actually. Darwin would love it.
Keep in mind several local hong kongers throw themselves off buildings every year because some girl dumps them or they'rehaving financial problems etc. And this is the targeted pool of cathay newhires with the new local terms only compensation package they have in place... to be at controls all alone for long periods at cruise altitudes.
There are so many crashes due to a pilot deciding to commit suicide and a lot more which has been prevented only by immediate reaction of the other pilot. We have a few sim instructors here at cathay who lost their
while flying and that's how they were medically grounded hence becoming sim instructors (super nice guys with a wealth of knowledge and ability). Each and every one of those would have been a hull loss of not for the other pilot. This is what one of them told me while telling the story of what happened on that faithful flight when he snapped and had to be physically restrained out of the flight deck after he attempted to dive the aircraft from cruise altitude.Ask the US airforce why they don't yet even consider putting live bodies on any of their pilot-less planes or even fly ANY of their live body carrying purposed aircraft (not fighters) with just one pilot on duty at any phase of the flight. Admittedly their threshold and tolerance for risk is much much higher than commercial aviation and their safety record speaks loud about what losses they're willing to accept. But even THEY don't yet even suggest what cathay and airbus are tripping about.
If you're the only one going for a radical idea while none of the others are even showing interest in that idea, there's your clue you're in danger territory.
The dire consequences of this idiocy could not happen to a more deserving management team than cathay's.
Avoid imitations
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But they still need two pilots…
Last edited by ShyTorque; 18th Jun 2021 at 07:54.
Actually, all they need is a failed didi driver to taxi the aircraft out to the holding point and line up. Probably getting his taxi instructions via WeChat.
As for passenger reassurance? Do you seriously think the pax can differentiate between us and say a baggage handler dressed in a pompous uniform with lots of stripes and a large hat?
Self evidently my comments are not in the least serious, merely intended to illustrate the danger of trusting in a status quo.
By way of a knee trembler, I’d like to point out that Garmin have an auto land feature on some high end Piper single engine turboprop. If the sole pilot becomes incapacitated, the passenger presses a large red button. From that point on, the automatics take over and do *everything to land the aircraft at the nearest suitable airport, stop it on the runway and shutdown. I gather it doesn’t even need an ILS equipped runway. The technology is here.
”*Everything” in this context includes deciding which airport and runway, configuring the aircraft, advising ATC and making voice transmissions on appropriate frequencies to alert other traffic.
Pilotless passenger carrying aircraft ? Not a question of if, but rather when.
As for passenger reassurance? Do you seriously think the pax can differentiate between us and say a baggage handler dressed in a pompous uniform with lots of stripes and a large hat?
Self evidently my comments are not in the least serious, merely intended to illustrate the danger of trusting in a status quo.
By way of a knee trembler, I’d like to point out that Garmin have an auto land feature on some high end Piper single engine turboprop. If the sole pilot becomes incapacitated, the passenger presses a large red button. From that point on, the automatics take over and do *everything to land the aircraft at the nearest suitable airport, stop it on the runway and shutdown. I gather it doesn’t even need an ILS equipped runway. The technology is here.
”*Everything” in this context includes deciding which airport and runway, configuring the aircraft, advising ATC and making voice transmissions on appropriate frequencies to alert other traffic.
Pilotless passenger carrying aircraft ? Not a question of if, but rather when.
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Seems to me that you are an intelligent guy and would have used your same mental processes to analyse , plan and prioritise no matter that you might have had far fewer flying hours.
Last edited by Bueno Hombre; 18th Jun 2021 at 09:03.
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And the winner is ??
Longtimer
No doubt in my mind who's behind this at CX and it's not one of the Swire smurfs, they know so little about airlines and how they "should" operate they simply gamble on everything they can and excel and losing.
You want a good laugh, simply open the "Time Capsule" in the entrance lobby..
That said, the suck-ups pushing for this are the same crowd that screwed up EFB for years and the same ones that pushed for MFF/CCQ on 777/748; and spent zillions in the process.. While some of these smurfs have moved on (one after a door opening incident in flight ), some are still there,, e.g all the top fleet/flying/training/DFO/GMA +++. You know the ones; doing spins on brass poles trying to keep their egos & bonuses at high levels..
It's the same reason CX is very nearly gone.. Management or the lack thereof !!
No doubt in my mind who's behind this at CX and it's not one of the Swire smurfs, they know so little about airlines and how they "should" operate they simply gamble on everything they can and excel and losing.
You want a good laugh, simply open the "Time Capsule" in the entrance lobby..
That said, the suck-ups pushing for this are the same crowd that screwed up EFB for years and the same ones that pushed for MFF/CCQ on 777/748; and spent zillions in the process.. While some of these smurfs have moved on (one after a door opening incident in flight ), some are still there,, e.g all the top fleet/flying/training/DFO/GMA +++. You know the ones; doing spins on brass poles trying to keep their egos & bonuses at high levels..
It's the same reason CX is very nearly gone.. Management or the lack thereof !!
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I am not sure if this supposed to be implemented on the takeoff approach and landing phases, but the problem with that is that you get procedural drift. You don't fly with others and it is easy for you to make up your own rules.
There is also less accountability for your actions as no-one sees what you are doing, not good...
Flying with others keeps you current in a way that you can't get from reading the books.
There is also less accountability for your actions as no-one sees what you are doing, not good...
Flying with others keeps you current in a way that you can't get from reading the books.
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My Family ain't flying
With the boondoggles and get rich quick schemes we & the entire world have watched emanate from the successive Swire carpetbaggers and sycophant CX managers over the last 30 years nothing much shocks me and I have only one worthwhile and correctly descriptive pronoun - WHATEVER :-(
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Oasis
With AP TCAS and Depress Descent the next step will be single pilot in the cruise with flight following from the ground. The single pilot will be monitored - eye movement for alertness (long haul truck drivers are experimenting with this), probably a video camera. The hard step will be allowing the ground monitor to intervene. Weather avoidance also an issue, especially considering how useless the A50 radar is.
With AP TCAS and Depress Descent the next step will be single pilot in the cruise with flight following from the ground. The single pilot will be monitored - eye movement for alertness (long haul truck drivers are experimenting with this), probably a video camera. The hard step will be allowing the ground monitor to intervene. Weather avoidance also an issue, especially considering how useless the A50 radar is.
Flex is onto it, years of no regulation coupled by overzealous dreamboat management. Sadly no union backbone, to at least question this sort of fairytale direction. Going to lead companies like CX to a inevitable big wake-up.
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CX has been involved with this project for 3 years. A senior Flt Ops manager did a demonstration flight with Airbus almost 2 years ago. That is when they committed to moving ahead with Airbus on the project. This will happen...and CX will be the "launch" customer. Helps them get rid of those "pesky" pilots.
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Surely they can't be thinking about putting a brand new SO in the seat alone for hours at a time! Flown with plenty that I won't even leave alone for 5 minutes! So it's likely to require at least an FO alone in the seat. Which begs the question, if single pilot cruise relief requires an FO at bare minimum, what will we need SO's for?
But if we don't have SO's, how are they gonna recruit crew? Can't see too many suitably experienced people moving to HK for POS18 (or whatever worse package they are dreaming up right now).
But if we don't have SO's, how are they gonna recruit crew? Can't see too many suitably experienced people moving to HK for POS18 (or whatever worse package they are dreaming up right now).
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Hahaha
As if any regulator anywhere would put their name on this, especially in the Cannot capital of the world. Airbus and CX can trial whatever they like.
And the latest Flight Inspector CAD have just employed has been fired by Cathay not once (KA), but twice! (CX cadet back in the 90s). Good luck asking him to help get this over the line.
As if any regulator anywhere would put their name on this, especially in the Cannot capital of the world. Airbus and CX can trial whatever they like.
And the latest Flight Inspector CAD have just employed has been fired by Cathay not once (KA), but twice! (CX cadet back in the 90s). Good luck asking him to help get this over the line.
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mngmt mole
What I heard is the FO was sent to the bunk, management hero sat in jump seat monitoring alertness / error rate etc of the single pilot. The flight was a delivery A50. Bunch of VIPs (Diamond members, press etc in the back - so PAX). Did HKG CAD know about this? A50 is certified 2 pilot, not single pilot. How was it legal?
What I heard is the FO was sent to the bunk, management hero sat in jump seat monitoring alertness / error rate etc of the single pilot. The flight was a delivery A50. Bunch of VIPs (Diamond members, press etc in the back - so PAX). Did HKG CAD know about this? A50 is certified 2 pilot, not single pilot. How was it legal?
What you heard is wrong. Yes delivery flight. But no punters hence not a public transport flight. Hence FTL’s etc don’t apply.
And the man in the js was an Airbus guy, and all crew members were rotated through. Just the one at the controls except for the controlled lower airspace at each end.
And that dear friends, is probably the future.
And the man in the js was an Airbus guy, and all crew members were rotated through. Just the one at the controls except for the controlled lower airspace at each end.
And that dear friends, is probably the future.
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Get Rid of Pilots ???
mngmt mole
"Helps them get rid of those "pesky" pilots", yes it will and on the same scale, paying passengers once this carpetbagger scam gets publicised by "proper" airlines and their "real" unions !!
"Helps them get rid of those "pesky" pilots", yes it will and on the same scale, paying passengers once this carpetbagger scam gets publicised by "proper" airlines and their "real" unions !!
I think Lufthansa and their Union could safely be described as a proper airline. As is Air France. They’ve all been trialling it. The reason CX is so attractive for these ventures is the trip length; and the fact that the company will bend over backwards to accommodate this stuff.
Last edited by MENELAUS; 19th Jun 2021 at 03:44.