PPRuNe Forums - Pilotless Aircraft

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OK, but this supervisor will need flawless communications, a very good knowledge of the aircraft's route network, the aircraft's capabilities and limitations( in fact he/she might need an old fashioned type rating) and I'd suggest to avoid the odd unnecessary diversion the supervisor needs a feel for what is really going on in the cabin and the state of the patient, the sort of thing you only get from face to face communication with the cabin crew, and I don't mean a video link.... sound's like you still need a decision maker on board to me.

I think not. Anything from a big red "oh !!!!" button to a keyboard and monitor to send the nature of the emergency, could have quick buttons... etc. Why the heck do you think we have developed an ADS-B network and are using a CPDLC system???

Reply to:
glum

All in the confines of a hospital room, does not apply at all....

We're talking transport, of vehicles out in the real world, where they may interact with those involved(riding), and those uninvolved(everyone else) in said transport.

Sure, it(unmanned aircraft operations) can be mandated by a dictatorship, or "weaseled in" unjustly by the traitors in thrall to "interested parties", but it will hopefully be stalled, stymied, and blocked for good by right-minded, thinking people. War zones ONLY!

Seems you're not going to see the comparison, and already have your mind made up. Fair enough, we all have our opinions.

Maybe I've read too much science fiction, but from what I know working within a forward looking aviation industry, I can see this happeneing within my lifetime... :ok:

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from what I know working within a forward looking aviation industry,..

Interesting point.

I wonder many here have direct "hands on" experience of what goes on on a commercial flight deck, both on good days and on bad days, and how many here haven't but work elsewhere in aviation and consider themselves well informed on the subject

I'll chuck my 15000+ flying hours plus into the pot.....

Golf_Sierra

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I would assume that the airframe itself in drones is fairly conservative, hence relatively inexpensive which makes the whole thing expendable. Maybe that is one of the advantages the remote technology offers - you can really push it to the limits since you don't have to worry about the human pilot aboard. And since you don't engineer it to carry a human it is much cheaper. You produce many airframes and then just tweak the software - so it is possible to test many solutions in parallel.

The airframe, avionics and engine of a UAS are built to meet the UAS requirement. Some are effectively lawnmower engine driven with simple COTS OEM computer parts with robbed parts of cell phones. They are good enough to meet the customers' specs. The very fact that they do not have to meet the demands of safety for a pilot reduces the reliability demands. They are then used in battlespaces where some are seen as almost disposable items. Comparing their reliability to an aircraft that meets 14 CFR part 23 or 91 or whatever is a meaningless exercise.

However, as they start to be used for civil applications in normal domestic environments safety of the people below them on the ground demands that they cannot be allowed to have high failure rates, have control links that drop out or can be hacked etc. Therefore, new Minimum Aviation System Performance Standards for UAS are being developed and expect both FAA and EASA to impose them in the next two or three years.

There are already passenger carrying UAS - Boeing Little Bird for example. There will be more in the years to come. These UAS will need to be certified to the same level as manned passenger carrying aircraft (unless they are government owned).

To Flexiflyer,

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As for single crew, what happens if this person flips out. Didn't this happen on a Fedex aircraft some years ago? What happens if they become incapacitated for whatever reason.

As the intentional crash of the Egyptair aircraft showed, there is nothing really different with manned aircraft except in the 'manned UAS' case the ground control can take over direct control of the aircraft. The pilot could be seen to be what is currently called a 'cruise pilot' only there to tend the automation in cruise flight - or alternatively - the automation could be seen as the 'cruise pilot' and the pilot be there as the 'captain' to handle exceptions. But in both cases there would be pilots on the ground who can take over remotely.

Wiggy: "I wonder many here have direct "hands on" experience of what goes on on a commercial flight deck, both on good days and on bad days, and how many here haven't but work elsewhere in aviation and consider themselves well informed on the subject"

Does one need to be well informed about the 'old' ways of doing things if you're designing a 'new' way?

Thought this was interesting - did anyone else realise just how far down this road ( :E ) we are?

Google's self-guided car could drive the next wave of unemployment | Technology | The Observer

Non-aviator here.
Last night there was a piece on the box about 'drones' being used to spot illegal fishing off the Australian coast. It was said that they could operate at 1500'. My question (well, one of many) is , how do other aircraft operating in the area avoid these babies? Do they file flight plans, or are aircraft notified that they are operating in the area? I'd imagine that they would be difficult to see.