future for pilots?
 

According to the Sydney Morning Herald:

In the next 50 years, Australian robots will control mines, patrol the coastline and negotiate our harsh agricultural environment, preventing us from risk to our lives. Unmanned aircraft will comb the skies and autonomous vehicles will conduct ground reconnaissance, making Australia a global leader in field robotics.

It looks like we may be the last generation of pilots. When do you think that the major airlines will be totally pilotless - 20 -30 years? Do they even have the technology yet or is it just a matter of people not trusting technology enough?

The biggest component in any technology advance, the culture of the people is what wil determine the use of this type of technology.

I think we will find a phased implementation of this technology as some people will love to jump on a cheap flight with no pilot and other people wil want to pay the extra for the added saftey.

I don't think that having a pilotless aircraft would bring the price of tickets down. The relative cost of pilots compared to all the other costs of flying is very small.

So my question is, why would anyone want pilotless airliners? And would you trust Microsoft Windows to fly you half way round the world???

Cheers,
NK.

we'll have driverless trucks/boats/trains before we have pax travelling on pilotless aircraft!... i think we're safe for some time yet. :\

...disco

I can see it now...

Windows is shutting down now, we have detected an error...would you like to send a report? End now/Send report

:sad:

Pilotless aircraft carrying fare paying passengers?:confused:

Not in my great grandchildrens lifetime!!!! (If I have any that is, which is most highly unlikely!:E )

Last generation of Pilots? As Disco Air inferred, I think we're safe for a while yet.

Amen Pinky. Would like to see a robot deliver mail :}

tell the WWII pilots there will be pilotless bombers in just 50 years....... I think yeh it will be a while but in all honesty i have flown with some pilots that i would have prefered a Unix system to be flying, just a little more stable then Windows.

I'm sure that annoying little paperclip from MS Office would to a tip-top job of flying our planes :\ :eek: .

Pilotless passenger aircraft are a long way off

What would have happened had there not been human intervention?

Hehe, Windows Aero 1.0....

"An wing has been discovered, please insert install cd 4 to continue"

"Engine number 2 has quit unexpectedly. Do you wish to send an error report?"

And of course, the dreaded primary display bluescreen on approach.

Nothing wrong??
 

Haughtny 1 . The interesting part of that is "there was no fault found in either the aircraft equipment, or the ground equipment". I think this may tell us something about our systems, both electronic, and administrative.

That'd be the blue screen of death. :uhoh:

Only individuals who 1/. have never crewed a jet and 2/. live in a computer dreamworld existing only in another reality could dream up this **** and then believe it possible.

Of course the technology exists and a jet could takeoff, fly and land at it's desto sans crew...in a vacuum devoid of other traffic, weather and technical malfunctions.

Crewless jet airliners are as likely to happen as everyone flying around in flying cars...like that tw@t on discovery channel. Take a look at the average idiot driving a car and then imagine him doing 100kts 500' off the ground.:ugh:

The cost of the pilots on board a -400 or A380 over the ocean for 15hrs spread across 400 or possibly 550 tickets would have no influence on the ticket price whatsoever. Everything else costs more than they do so after they remove everything else first (fuel included) then they will remove the pilots.

Messiah unfortunately I don't think the likes of Geoff Dixon and Co see it that way. If they can cut the cost of pilots they will. Even the current costs of pilots is a drop in the ocean in terms of hourly operating costs, yet they are hell bent on slashing wages/conditions.

However I cannot imagine insurance companies being big fans of this idea. Wouldn't want to be the guy who signs off that premium. Also who in CASA will be willing to sign off the computer for his 500 Multi dispensation?? :hmm: :}

Its upon us

Whats a QF SO if hes not a robot?:hmm:

What I think they mean is a robot they dont have to feed and doesnt wear Serengetis. http://www.augk18.dsl.pipex.com/Smileys/cool3.gif

Messiah and neville.

The cost of labour is the only cost in aviation GD etc can have any real chance of influencing...aeroplanes, fuel, enroute and terminal nav charges, spares etc are all out of their sphere of influence.

Not so aircrew and ground staff.:ugh:

It is not about how little they cost as a % of overall costs it is about a raw number that can be saved...until such time as they back enough people into the same corner.

Remote drivers
 

I think the US military uses remote drivers (pilots) already where planes(albeit very small ones) are under the comand of a 'pilot' on the ground. Perhaps this will be the backup one day?

I don't think that technology gets the credit it deserves. Such technology on an aircraft would not be like that on your PC, it would mirror such technology that space crafts have been using for decades - as a lot of space flight is automated. I'm sure 'fly by wire' had just as many opponents when it was introduced. I think that this technology may be on as quicker than we think, but I'm sure we will all be nearing the end of our careers:O

Weve had innovation replace the flight engineer. Now I think its just a matter of time before automation replaces the SO. Is it really necessary to have to pilots operating the aircraft in the cruise?

Now theres a question....