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Single pilot airliner

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Old 7th May 2007, 14:46
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Single pilot airliner

Does anybody know further details about plans of single pilot operation during cruise on long range flights of A350/B 787?

Thx
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Old 7th May 2007, 15:02
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A presidial board member of a large european pilots union told me.

<Airliners do not operate single pilot>
Yes, I know.
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Old 7th May 2007, 15:49
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It is not as crazy as it sounds...that doesn't mean I think it will be embraced any time soon...or easily.
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Old 7th May 2007, 16:35
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Crazy

many pilots die in flight each year , so
think about it best regards
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Old 7th May 2007, 18:09
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Take a look on the bridge the next time you set feet on a cruise liner or a ferry. You might be surprised.
Per
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Old 7th May 2007, 18:11
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Sadly, I can see the day coming - maybe it's already come - where some beancounter will come up with the bright, money saving idea of a single monitoring pilot for the cruise sector of long range flights while the two takeoff and landing crewmembers sleep.

They'll probably give him a portapotty to cover his biological needs.
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Old 7th May 2007, 19:11
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impossible

many situations out of the scoop , that need two crew members to aply crm tools and solve them , remember that when an airplane is with one crew member with pilot incapacitation , the other declares emergency and assistance if possible best regards
pd: the pilot is the cheapest thing in an airplane
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Old 7th May 2007, 19:21
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@lenstrad

Wait a minute. The beancounters think different. Like "there are two crewmembers if CRM is required", (means, wake up the other guy/girl).

Or, who is talking about "incapacitation"? One pilot is just having a break....


Like I said, not my point of view.......
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Old 7th May 2007, 19:28
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Wiley

The Bean Counters are already working on it. TWO pilots? to monitor Takeoff & Landing. REMEMBER 1 Radio operators, 2 Navigators, 3 Flight Engineers? Never get rid of them either? I'm afraid it's the way of the world now - Automation wins everytime on cost longterm. Check out your ATSU unit next time it's just a machine - machine thing with a human switch. Sad times
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Old 7th May 2007, 20:04
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HI

airbus is currently evaluating options for the A350 for single pilot operation.
Airlines are very interested!

it will only be a question of time, when we see single pilot airliners, as well as pilotless airplanes, which will be initially used for cargo.

good news: it won t affect US so much, as most of us will be retired by then.


so long
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Old 7th May 2007, 20:04
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Yes, but would you or your mother or your next door neighbour get on an airliner that was single crew?

I would be VERY uncomfortable with one, no matter how good the automation. If they're talking about designing a flightdeck with the bunks within the secure area up front, and allowing a system to monitor a third relief pilot to allow him to work a cruise period whilst the others rest, then it's not so out of the realms of safety.

The level of monitoring of the awareness of the third pilot would have to be foolproof mind. A big automatic stick that smacks him/her round the lughole every 20 minutes might just do it
 
Old 7th May 2007, 20:24
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Train operators neatly solved that issue with a dead mans knob system.

Two pilots for the busy times, and only one relief pilot for the cruise, where the relief pilot is monitored through a dead mans knob system which is able to alert the first two pilots, sounds like a better solution to me than the current practice of crews taking "power naps" in turn during a long night cruise.

But I would not be happy if the *total* flight crew would be reduced to less than two.
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Old 7th May 2007, 20:24
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I don't think we are very far away from pilotless a/c. The only part that can't be automated so far is the taxi and if you can tow an a/c out to the button you could tow it back too. $12/hr ground-pounder vs $200,000/yr pilot?

Commuter rail is driverless in Vancouver and everybody accepts it. Won't be long....
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Old 7th May 2007, 20:33
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Train operators neatly solved that issue with a dead mans knob system.
Sorry, that conjures up visions of an aircraft with the engines being shut down if the pilot doesn't respond.

Research elsewhere (medical, I think, regarding doctors on call) suggests that your decision-making is seriously impaired for up to fifteen minutes after waking up from a decent sleep. so if you're going to have engine failure or anything else that makes life up front more interesting, best make sure there's at least that much warning so the rest of the flight crew can be in a good condition to deal with it.
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Old 7th May 2007, 22:17
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Ancient Mariner - I think that the recent "Ouzo" vs "Pride of Bilbao" might be the wake up call for European maritime operations. That's not to say, or even hope, that visiting Nations will adhere to our rules, but it may be a start.

However, it's a bit of a stretch to compare two dimensional/25 Knot driving to 600 Kt/three dimensional workload.
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Old 7th May 2007, 22:24
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But I would not be happy if the *total* flight crew would be reduced to less than two.
..or less than one
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Old 7th May 2007, 22:40
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Rainboe has echoed exactly what was going through my mind. In a busy terminal environment? No way.
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Old 8th May 2007, 00:47
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dead mans knob
Keep it clean please
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Old 8th May 2007, 01:31
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A system that slaps the pilot round the head every twenty minutes?

It already exists. The long range glass Boeings put up an a EICAS message 'Pliot Initiated Event required' if nothing has been touched for twenty minutes. If nothing in the cockpit has been touched, the caution alerrt sounds and the caption goes amber. After another minute, if nothing had been done, the master warning sounds. Both I and the other pilot have been woken up by the master warning on at least one occaision while crossing the Atlantic in the early hours!
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Old 8th May 2007, 01:58
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Grrr

If the beancounters' motives were honest for once, rather than just "cutting costs" for the benefit of airline profits, I for one wouldn't have too great a problem with airlines offering:

*Normal Ticket - Comes with the Dual Pilot Guarantee

*CheapAflite Ticket - One buck cheaper - Single Pilot for your Convenience

*Budget Xpress - Come Fly With Otto


The per ticket overhead of two pilots is pretty small. I think I know which option most people would prefer.
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