Our/A Pilot's Future

[Kip Dynomite]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]It's uncomfortable to ponder, but if our species avoids any near future annihilation scenario, pilots will eventually be designed out of the flight deck. I realize this has been a debate in the past, but future technologies, in addition to future generations, might just result to the human aviator's demise. We, as pilots and a human factor, attribute an expensive cost, and a liability to airline operations. Our absence would eliminate countless problems in getting people from A to B. So would the absence weather and maintenance, but these adverse factors happen regardless of our precipitation, and can only be controlled to a degree. The past debate on this subject has ruled passengers wont trust a computer with their life at FL360(plus airline unions); but as years have past, we have become increasingly reliant on these machines. We now trust the computer to house our banking, friendship networks, and schedules among other things. Most of us flying today were born before the age of total computer reliance. The computer was something that slowly worked its way into our lives; thus we had natural antagonistic reservations against it. We were naturally wary of giving it responsibilities. The new generations have been born into the computer age, the computer is as much apart of their life as the airplane was ours when we were born. These newer generations of people have no natural fear of a technology that's been established and tested competently before their existence. It's they, when old enough to become the paying public, that will dictated an airline that can operate cheaper without us behind the controls. So let's enjoy the time we have left by making a living,(meager as it might be)flying these machines at FL360.
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[Jedi_Cheese]

I trust my computer with managing my daily life, and when it screws up, I just make plans the old fashioned way (telephone).

If the aircraft autopilot screws up and there are no pilots on board, hope your life insurance is paid up.

When my car automatically drives itself to the destination, then I'll worry. Until then, I've got job security.

 

[NachoMamma]

Partly Right

While this scenario will eventually come true for freight, it will never happen for passenger carriage. Public perception will kill it.

 

[777_Jackpot]

While this scenario will eventually come true for freight, it will never happen for passenger carriage. Public perception will kill it.

Hmmm... funny thing is, thats the same thing they said about computers taking the place of flight engineers.

 

[YourPilotFriend]

A could see single pilot 121 airplanes in the near future, however, software is not reliable enough yet to replace humans completely. Even the drones are flown by remote human control.

You may be able to move to some sort of remote control facility where one pilot flys multiple aircraft at once from the ground.

 

[SEVEN]

A could see single pilot 121 airplanes in the near future, however, software is not reliable enough yet to replace humans completely. Even the drones are flown by remote human control.

You may be able to move to some sort of remote control facility where one pilot flys multiple aircraft at once from the ground.

Many of us are currentely flying single pilot 121. Most regional captains nowdays are operating as ioe instructors and are not even getting paid to be line check airmen. Sad but true.

 

[Soverytired]

It's definitely coming within our lifetimes.

 

[Flybywire44]

Lets hope its not going to be windows based! Mean while the a380 is having issues with their computer systems?

 

[Rally]

MMMMMMM. Is "Flight Level 360" a legal altitude?

Duh.

 

[Rally]

I believe single pilot crews and a complete computer based flow type control for ATC is in store. A computer can flow aircraft much better then a human can speak. Its coming.....Just remember technology creates more jobs. While you may split the crew in half, the flow and extra aircraft will allow for more aircraft thus canceling out each other. SOMETHING has to be done about the ATC system, its 40 years behind. Its going to be the way we fix delays.

 

[Andrew_VT]

I believe single pilot crews and a complete computer based flow type control for ATC is in store.

The first step would be a human controller communicating with the flight crew over a digital text message piggybacked to the same frequencies we use now. Even that is 20+ years away!!!

 

[OUPilot01]

Last time I checked every freight train that passes me while I sit there waiting for the arms to go up still has TWO engineers in the front. If they can not fully automate a train that runs on rails I would not be worried about aviation.

 

[pilotbrain]

Many of us are currentely flying single pilot 121. Most regional captains nowdays are operating as ioe instructors and are not even getting paid to be line check airmen. Sad but true.

The simple fact that you think you are operating single pilot 121, I would say you have no business being in the left seat of part 121 passenger hauling airline.

Just my 02 cents.

 

[IronCityBlue]

MMMMMMM. Is "Flight Level 360" a legal altitude?

Duh.

Is it an illegal altitude? Duh.

 

[flyf15]

Computers can fly airliners, no question about it.

Computers can't make the decisions we make. Computers can't interact with ATC, FA, Pax, Dispatch, MX, etc the way we do.

And when it all comes down to it, paying two pilots to sit up front is a lot cheaper than buying a new plane, let alone redesigning the whole system.

There have always been two pilots. Slowly over time, navigators, radio operators, and most recently flight engineers have all been replaced by automation allowing the pilots to do their jobs. But, there have always been two pilots, and there will always be two pilots.

 

[zasca]

The cost would be tremendous. 121 Pilots rarely crash. Software often does.

Sarah Connor, people! have we learned nothing???

 

[YourPilotFriend]

Not only that, imagine if terrorists got ahold of the software that runs completely automated planes. There would be millions of dead bodies everywhere.

I have a proposal....How about instead of trying to get rid of the pilots, how about an airplane that doesn't run on gas.