Plans underway for Pilotless pax A/C
Join Date: Jun 2004
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Sultan Ismail,
If you are the same Sultan Ismail who made a previous post about your MAS B777 flight that required no further pilot input, may I suggest that you direct your future posts to the Spotters forum. Most of us take this topic quite seriously, and ill informed idiotic comment is out of place in a serious forum.
I fly the B777 (not with MAS), and a later version of the pre 9/11 that you observed at that. I cannot conceive of any flight in a B777, given it's current state of development, that could proceed beyond brakes release at the departure terminal without CONSIDERABLE pilot input. Maybe MAS has a secret new version of the B777 that even Boeing don't know about. Was that it demonstrating the new automated MAS rotation technique that we saw so graphically in recent posts from Europe?
I am one of the 'traitors to my profession' who has an active part in software programming for present generation aircraft. This is LOW LOW Tech stuff, and many software generations away from capabilities approaching that for full automation in all aspects. The present, and the next generation of software does not come close. For heaven's sake, if Boeing / Rolls Royce cannot build a relatively simple system such as Auto Anti-Ice (they did, but aircraft and engines continued to ice up), we have a lot to worry about.
In previous years my failure management was directed at aircraft hardware, engines etc. Now my failure management is directed towards FMC / Satcom / GPS navigation failures etc. because this stuff is still relatively Low Tech - except maybe in the third world.
Fully automated passenger flights WILL come, but at nowhere near the pace you suggest. Until it does, please keep your uninformed comment elsewhere - some poor misguided fool might believe it.
If you are the same Sultan Ismail who made a previous post about your MAS B777 flight that required no further pilot input, may I suggest that you direct your future posts to the Spotters forum. Most of us take this topic quite seriously, and ill informed idiotic comment is out of place in a serious forum.
I fly the B777 (not with MAS), and a later version of the pre 9/11 that you observed at that. I cannot conceive of any flight in a B777, given it's current state of development, that could proceed beyond brakes release at the departure terminal without CONSIDERABLE pilot input. Maybe MAS has a secret new version of the B777 that even Boeing don't know about. Was that it demonstrating the new automated MAS rotation technique that we saw so graphically in recent posts from Europe?
I am one of the 'traitors to my profession' who has an active part in software programming for present generation aircraft. This is LOW LOW Tech stuff, and many software generations away from capabilities approaching that for full automation in all aspects. The present, and the next generation of software does not come close. For heaven's sake, if Boeing / Rolls Royce cannot build a relatively simple system such as Auto Anti-Ice (they did, but aircraft and engines continued to ice up), we have a lot to worry about.
In previous years my failure management was directed at aircraft hardware, engines etc. Now my failure management is directed towards FMC / Satcom / GPS navigation failures etc. because this stuff is still relatively Low Tech - except maybe in the third world.
Fully automated passenger flights WILL come, but at nowhere near the pace you suggest. Until it does, please keep your uninformed comment elsewhere - some poor misguided fool might believe it.
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Pilotless pax aircraft?.....It will never happen....Why?
1. Pilotless aircraft crash. Check the stats for UAV systems on the web. They are complex flying systems which also include the ground control station and the associated RF links.....What happens if the ground control station is hijacked, or a spurious uplink message is sent?.... Aside from that, there are many system type failures that could occur.....
2. Pilots onboard on aircraft have a self preservation interest. Pax like that feature. It gives them confidence in flying safety.
3. Controlling/monitoring a pilotless aircraft will require an uplink/downlink system. The RF spectrum bandwidth is gradually being eaten away by other commercial interests, and this is a real limitation to unmanned systems at this time. It won't get better.
4. The development costs will be high in order to provide the level of reliability required for pax operations. Think about certification of such systems....It goes a lot further than what is covered in FAR Part 25.
Regards
Woxman
1. Pilotless aircraft crash. Check the stats for UAV systems on the web. They are complex flying systems which also include the ground control station and the associated RF links.....What happens if the ground control station is hijacked, or a spurious uplink message is sent?.... Aside from that, there are many system type failures that could occur.....
2. Pilots onboard on aircraft have a self preservation interest. Pax like that feature. It gives them confidence in flying safety.
3. Controlling/monitoring a pilotless aircraft will require an uplink/downlink system. The RF spectrum bandwidth is gradually being eaten away by other commercial interests, and this is a real limitation to unmanned systems at this time. It won't get better.
4. The development costs will be high in order to provide the level of reliability required for pax operations. Think about certification of such systems....It goes a lot further than what is covered in FAR Part 25.
Regards
Woxman
Join Date: Mar 2005
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Pilotless Aircraft
Greetings all,
Could I ask any Pilots to fill out a short survey regarding Pilotless Commercial Aircraft. Its for my honours project.
Scary concept I know, but its the only topic that the Computing dept let me do thats related to aviation.
Here the link:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=674491992919
Any help would be great! The sooner the better.
Many thanks in advance
FRT
P.S. I have posted this on another thread aswell, but I think that one has been closed. Apologies if you have already seen this post.
Could I ask any Pilots to fill out a short survey regarding Pilotless Commercial Aircraft. Its for my honours project.
Scary concept I know, but its the only topic that the Computing dept let me do thats related to aviation.
Here the link:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=674491992919
Any help would be great! The sooner the better.
Many thanks in advance
FRT
P.S. I have posted this on another thread aswell, but I think that one has been closed. Apologies if you have already seen this post.
