Testflight with 'unmanned' Jetstream

[CEJM]

Surprised the British press hasn't picked up on this. (or I have missed it)

Link to Dutch newspaper.
BA doet proefvlucht met onbemand verkeersvliegtuig - AD.nl

Within several weeks shall the first pilotless aircraft take-off from Warton Aerodrome in Lancashire. The Jestream will take-off from Warton Aerodrome on Lancashire with destination Northern Scotland. The aircraft will carry two pilots, who can intervene when the test does not go as planned. The intention is that pilots on the ground fly the aircraft to its destination.

According to specialists are unmanned flights 'the future of aviation'. During the testflight they will run several scenario's to see if the onboard computer can deal with these problems without any human intervention. The cost of the project is 76 milion Euro and is funded by the British government and seven European aerospace companies.

'A pilot wil always (behind the scenes) have full control, only this will no longer be in the cockpit but on the ground' according aviation specialist Lambert Dopping-Hepenstal. 'This will enable pilots to control several aircraft at the same time'.

However it is unknown if airlines will take the risk to operate aircraft without pilots. It is expected that airlines will keep a pilot onboard so that the passengers feel comfortable.


Would be interesting to see how the test will go. However I don't think that I will see any large commercial aircraft without pilots.

[Nemrytter]

Are they confusing BA with BAE Systems?

[green granite]

Probably the first full size pilot-less twin engine Aircraft to take of from Warton, but certainly not the first pilot-less twin. Flight Refuelling Ltd at Tarrant Rushton. converted in excess of 200 Meteors to pilot-less ones for target drones.

[ATC Watcher]

The aircraft will carry two pilots, who can intervene when the test does not go as planned.

Apaprently someone still has brains .

This will enable pilots to control several aircraft at the same time'

The dream of every airline CEO,,
.
But as someone correctly said in another thread, the cost of certifying all this will be such that paying 2 guys per aircraft is still far, far cheaper.

But with time ? we could have vending machines replacing Cabin crew, and a ballistic parachute? why not.

[DaveReidUK]

Lots of threads on this already.

Personally, I don't believe it - for a start, they don't seem to have made any provision for the dog.

[riverrock83]

BBC News - Unmanned aircraft project leads push to civilian drones

http://www.pprune.org/tech-log/50135...-aircraft.html

[cockney steve]

Shame on those Test Pilots, who will test that aircraft! Those selfish, naiv and egoistic guys will make us and themselves to lose our jobs one day!!!
28th Nov 2012 15:41

you sound like the people who kicked-off when William Caxton invented the printing-press.
"rinse and repeat " for the sewing-machine.the Spinning-Jenny ....shall I continue?

You need to wake up! This is now a mature and well-understood industry,-the days of the "black-art" Elite are GONE......you drive a glorified bus with wings!
The Omnibus used to have both a Driver and a Conductor....now, One-man operation (OMO- not the sort left on the kitchen windowsill ) is the accepted norm.
The job of Airline Pilot is just that,- a JOB not a Profession or a Vocation.
get over yourself or you'll sit jobless,playing King Canute.

(plenty of references there to keep you busy )

[Huck]

-the days of the "black-art" Elite are GONE......you drive a glorified bus with wings!

I love it. Say more things.

"You speak evil of that which is fair beyond the reach of your thought, and only little wit can excuse you...."

[deefer dog]

Good for them. Computers have been flying Airbus's for years. When did an Airbus crash without an input from a pilot?

Pilots are the weak link in the system as is evidenced by 30+% of all accidents being attributed to "pilot error."

All the industry needs are ATC and automatics. Plus of course passengers prepared to pay tickets to fly drones.

[Frosch]

Pilots are the weak link in the system as is evidenced by 30+% of all accidents being attributed to "pilot error."

Sure.

Meaning: 70% of all accidents not being attributed to "pilot error".

And so on. Useless and endless discussion.

Most important questions:

Which insurance company will take the risk?
Who will be liable and where?

Wonder how UNO will sort this one out....

For sure I'm retired by then.

[Agaricus bisporus]

Cockney - you'd better go look up the meaning of "Professional".

Someone once said,"Tis better to keep silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt".

Sound advice in your case, sir.

[Mike-Bracknell]

Originally Posted by CEJM

The aircraft will carry two pilots, who can intervene when the test does not go as planned.

I love their optimism!

[Spitoon]

Originally Posted by deefer dog

All the industry needs are ATC and automatics.

Ahh, there's plenty of work going on to make ATC a computer driven thing too. Take a look at SESAR, NextGen and the Master Plans.

[green granite]

Ahh, there's plenty of work going on to make ATC a computer driven thing too. Take a look at SESAR, NextGen and the Master Plans.

So why not combine the two, fly the aircraft and sort out ATC at the same time..............................................sounds a great idea........................................................ .........for total confusion

[Lyman]

I hate to buzz kill, but in 1954, a C-54 flew from Gander to Europe with a crew that monitored the auto flight only. Take off to touch down? That is nearly sixty years ago, so, wth?

[Meeb]

I hate to buzz kill, but in 1954, a C-54 flew from Gander to Europe with a crew that monitored the auto flight only. Take off to touch down? That is nearly sixty years ago, so, wth?

eh?

So how did they remote fly it then? A bunch of pilots sitting in boats all across the Atlantic?

People, read the facts, it is ground based crew flying it, not a drone or bloggs with his feet up watching the autopilot...

[Lyman]

it was actually 1947. T/O and Landing, and full route autoflight. Preprogrammed? I am going to look further. It was 65 years ago, and whether it was on wire or signal, I don't know. Impressive nonetheless. The idea is that ground will not interfere anyway, so whether it could have been interrupted by ground or not is not relevant, it was autoflight, sans "pilot". Nothing about current technology trumps the accomplishment, it was hands off, and the pilots could have been back in Gander, truly no human aboard, pilot or not.

You assume the flights will be remotely operated, they will not be, they will be remotely monitored. Operationally independent, either way.

Would I have more confidence aboard the Jetstream? well, yeah......


Autopilot - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Or are you thinking these flights will be "flown" by crew on the ground instead of in the cockpit? Why pay pilots to sit at a screen in Bumbleflick? No human is going to be present in a position of intercession. Lose the autoflight, lose the flight. We have pilots in cockpits now who cannot fly if the autopilot craps out, being on the ground makes them Sully-rific?

[Backoffice]

Then, as the Jetstream turned finals, Dorris came round with the tea trolley and we all stared at the 3 pin plug on the floor.

[Capn Bloggs]

Or are you thinking these flights will be "flown" by crew on the ground instead of in the cockpit?

I like that idea. No more security, no more walkarounds in the rain.

[Meeb]

You assume the flights will be remotely operated, they will not be, they will be remotely monitored. Operationally independent, either way.

Read the article!

The intention is that pilots on the ground fly the aircraft to its destination.