Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Flight Deck Forums > Rumours & News
Reload this Page >

Jeremy Vine Show - Pilotless Airliners

Rumours & News Reporting Points that may affect our jobs or lives as professional pilots. Also, items that may be of interest to professional pilots.

Jeremy Vine Show - Pilotless Airliners

Old 19th Aug 2016, 15:11
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Brexitland
Posts: 1,146
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes on 2 Posts
Jeremy Vine Show - Pilotless Airliners

Not sure if anyone else felt the same but the Vine Show spot at 1300 today was just total nonsense. Ill-informed rubbish about clearing out pilots (replacing them with a retired DJ to do the "announcements") and fitting seats to sell in the cockpit space etc We don't 'do anything' anyway and should be replaced by computers……. Discuss.
Arfur Dent is offline  
Old 19th Aug 2016, 15:25
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 1,249
Received 4 Likes on 3 Posts
When big electronics companies are able to produce a toaster that can toast a piece of bread the same colour on 2 sides, when Toyota etc. cease having to recall their cars for serious faults, when Windows no longer freezes, when my radio doesn't go fuzzy as a train passes.... and so on.... then I'd be willing to think about a pilotless aircraft.
blue up is offline  
Old 19th Aug 2016, 15:29
  #3 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Home
Posts: 3,399
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Who'd have thought it?!

Pilotless aircraft unpopular on Pprune....
Tourist is offline  
Old 19th Aug 2016, 16:17
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: UK
Age: 67
Posts: 166
Received 28 Likes on 16 Posts
tee hee

seems to be an extension of drone technology which has been in use for how long?
golfbananajam is offline  
Old 19th Aug 2016, 16:32
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Dublin
Posts: 840
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes on 2 Posts
Perhaps he'd been reading the August edition of The Economist.

Flight fantastic | The Economist

JAS
Just a spotter is offline  
Old 19th Aug 2016, 16:39
  #6 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Not Aviation House
Posts: 729
Likes: 0
Received 9 Likes on 6 Posts
The JV radio show is the Daily Mail for listeners.

We will have pilotless passenger aircraft, when the general public will get on the aircraft.

Excluding those who will get on Satan's back to fly to Ibiza for £19.99; this will be at a time approximately 50 years after the oil runs out.

In one respect, pilotless aircraft would be the best thing ever to happen, as it would force the industry to start blaming something other than 'pilot error' for, essentially, every crash in history.

When you have to blame either: the operator; or the manufacturer for every crash, lets see what the public make of it ...........

F&B
Fire and brimstone is offline  
Old 19th Aug 2016, 17:23
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Midlands
Posts: 128
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I understand Google hire students to sit in their cars, not to drive or act as a safety fall back but to stop others being phased by an empty car driving past.

Some would say the same is happening in the airline industry judging by the performances in manual landing in a bit of a cross wind.
Planet Basher is offline  
Old 19th Aug 2016, 17:27
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Nearer home than before!
Posts: 524
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
It's what I've always said. The technology is there but they need us for that vital thing.

When a plane crashes, it's the pilots' fault but different pilots are on the jet Joe Public is about to get on.

So that's all right then.

When a pilotless airliner goes down, what excuse will they have? The identical ones on the ramp are on version 9.0.2 and the crash one was on 9.0.1? That's a massive lawsuit for allowing people to fly on defective software... If it's 9.0.2. That's the whole fleet grounded.

While they can blame us, we'll all have a job. Simple.
RVF750 is offline  
Old 19th Aug 2016, 18:14
  #9 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: UK
Age: 79
Posts: 1,086
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
It might happen eventually, but only 20 years after they allow single pilot operation with remote backup.
The Ancient Geek is offline  
Old 19th Aug 2016, 18:26
  #10 (permalink)  

Avoid imitations
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 14,560
Received 402 Likes on 210 Posts
The technology has been around for a long time.

Problem comes when the plan changes, or for example, ATC want to change the plan at short notice. ....go around, I say again...GO AROUND!
ShyTorque is offline  
Old 19th Aug 2016, 18:29
  #11 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: UK
Posts: 1,642
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I'd have thought Vine had more sense, one of the callers mentioned pilots pulling leavers.
Mr Angry from Purley is offline  
Old 19th Aug 2016, 19:25
  #12 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Surrey, UK
Posts: 130
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Bring back Jimmy Young !

Anyone know what became of him and if he's still around?
HamishMcBush is offline  
Old 19th Aug 2016, 20:06
  #13 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: jersey
Age: 74
Posts: 1,475
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
This program , & the contributions from the listening public contained within it, was a complete load of bullsh*t. They didn't have anyone on it who knew anything about the subject, & no one who could explain where we stand technically today & how this would all work out. All it consisted of were one or two people who had connections with victims of air crashes & a few meaningless anecdotes to share. It was all pointless nonsense !
kcockayne is offline  
Old 19th Aug 2016, 20:26
  #14 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Texas
Age: 64
Posts: 7,130
Received 318 Likes on 204 Posts
How will these pilotless airliners know where to position themselves on the conveyor belt? One little hiccup with a conveyor belt and it ends in tears.
Lonewolf_50 is offline  
Old 19th Aug 2016, 21:20
  #15 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Wilds of Warwickshire
Posts: 240
Received 8 Likes on 6 Posts
I'll fly on a pilotless aircraft when, and only when, the Systems can pass the 'Hudson' test. Sudden loss of all power, huge metro area below: interesting bit of programming!
KiloB is offline  
Old 19th Aug 2016, 22:08
  #16 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: The wrong timezone
Posts: 264
Received 11 Likes on 3 Posts
I think there was the former Secretary General of BALPA and at least one airline pilot, so not quite accurate.

This program , & the contributions from the listening public contained within it, was a complete load of bullsh*t. They didn't have anyone on it who knew anything about the subject, & no one who could explain where we stand technically today & how this would all work out. All it consisted of were one or two people who had connections with victims of air crashes & a few meaningless anecdotes to share. It was all pointless nonsense !
anson harris is offline  
Old 19th Aug 2016, 22:48
  #17 (permalink)  
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Derbyshire, England.
Posts: 4,091
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Talking to a friend recently who is heavily involved in the (military) development of drones of all sizes, it is true that pilotless technology has been around for quite a while but it is still in its infancy. What we don't get told, because the manufacturers don't want the information made public, are the amount of uncontrolled crashes that occur regularly.


Before the first pilotless commercial flight takes off there will have to be thousands of hours of faultless trial flights in a variety of environments and with a faultless control system that cannot be hacked, hijacked or interfered with by terrorists. Right now and for the foreseeable future there simply are not the R&D funds available, nor any incentive to produce a commercial pilotless pax carrying aircraft, it is cheaper to employ pilots.
parabellum is offline  
Old 19th Aug 2016, 22:56
  #18 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Paris
Age: 74
Posts: 275
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Are you people sure that small pilotless aircraft are that far off - eg. a fleet for drones for mail transport to a provincial city from a mailhub, replacing one biggish plane a night?

Edmund
edmundronald is offline  
Old 20th Aug 2016, 00:06
  #19 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Florida and wherever my laptop is
Posts: 1,350
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by parabellum
Talking to a friend recently who is heavily involved in the (military) development of drones of all sizes, it is true that pilotless technology has been around for quite a while but it is still in its infancy. What we don't get told, because the manufacturers don't want the information made public, are the amount of uncontrolled crashes that occur regularly.


Before the first pilotless commercial flight takes off there will have to be thousands of hours of faultless trial flights in a variety of environments and with a faultless control system that cannot be hacked, hijacked or interfered with by terrorists. Right now and for the foreseeable future there simply are not the R&D funds available, nor any incentive to produce a commercial pilotless pax carrying aircraft, it is cheaper to employ pilots.
The military accept an attrition rate far higher than for civil systems. The important issues are mission accomplishment, followed by cost. It is a completely different market but it exercises the systems and software informing the civil development.

From research I am seeing now I expect commercial drone systems inside 10 years for package delivery, reduced flight deck crews around the same time. By 2035 expect autonomous UAS in all airspaces.
Ian W is offline  
Old 20th Aug 2016, 00:58
  #20 (permalink)  
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Derbyshire, England.
Posts: 4,091
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Be interested to know how you plan to overcome the worldwide terrorist threat by 2035.
parabellum is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.