Would You Fly On An Airliner With Just One Pilot?

[Russ]

Already happening, it's called IOE.

 

[JT12345]

Insurance will never go for it in our life time. The insurance will be more than that cost of an extra pilot on board. 2 pilots has nothing to do with the one pilot being sick or dead. It has to do with subtle incapacitation and a remote controlled pilot can not recognize that fast enough.

http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/publications/tp11629-menu-5518.htm

It takes 2 pilots to land an airplane in wind greater than 15 knots and wind shears. One to fly and the other to initiate a go around if it looks unsafe. And what about 30 to 40 knot winds and gusts and shears??? I don't think a remote controlled pilot can do it or an auto pilot yet especially into some of the short runways that airliners fly into.

Two pilots having a bad day are exponentially safer than a lone single pilot having a bad day. Anyone that flies for a living can tell you that.

 

[JT12345]

Already happening, it's called IOE.

Bullsh!t.

Most newbies can land the airplane safe enough. Most inexperienced newbies are flying airplanes that can land easily enough at most airports with plenty of runway to spare. Even the 200 hour pilots in the RJs can get it down and are better to have next to you than a remote controlled pilot in some remote building without their arse in the seat.

 

[shagadelic]

It takes 2 pilots to land an airplane in wind greater than 15 knots and wind shears. One to fly and the other to initiate a go around if it looks unsafe. And what about 30 to 40 knot winds and gusts and shears??? I don't think a remote controlled pilot can do it or an auto pilot yet especially into some of the short runways that airliners fly into.

Two pilots having a bad day are exponentially safer than a lone single pilot having a bad day. Anyone that flies for a living can tell you that.

You're kidding right? Go purchase a subscription to Wired magazine and pay attention to what's coming in the future. We may not like it, but computers are infinitely better at flying than we are. 15 knots? Seriously? It takes two pilots cause we are so limited in capacity that we can't watch two things at once...computers can look at thousands of inputs at once. More crosswind...more aileron and opposite rudder...a simple algorithm. Aborts? We have a freaking 3-second reaction time built in after a fire bell goes off. Seriously? You think a computer needs that? Fire bell equals 3000psi to the brakes.... no reaction needed. Our cockpits are so far behind what is available right now in the real world it's not even funny. Look at the google car...it knows where it is, can interpret red lights, stop for a kid or a pet that runs in front, it can negotiate a 4 way stop when 4 cars pull in at once, negotiate construction, etc. Flying is infinitely simpler than driving as far as complexities go. Tie TCAS into autopilot...bam, no more mid-airs. It goes on and on.

We sound like every other industry that has gone away due to automation. We're too important, blah, blah, blah. It's coming. Once they show flying boxes is safer than a human at the controls then we are toast as a profession. It may not happen in 20 years....but I bet within 50 for sure.

I'm all for preserving our jobs...and will fight to keep us in the cockpit. But that has everything to do with wanting to keep my livelihood and get paid, and nothing to do with safety being more important. This industry is safer now more than anytime in the last century. That's due to automation, not in spite of it.

 

[CesnaCaptn]

You're kidding right? Go purchase a subscription to Wired magazine and pay attention to what's coming in the future. We may not like it, but computers are infinitely better at flying than we are. 15 knots? Seriously? It takes two pilots cause we are so limited in capacity that we can't watch two things at once...computers can look at thousands of inputs at once. More crosswind...more aileron and opposite rudder...a simple algorithm. Aborts? We have a freaking 3-second reaction time built in after a fire bell goes off. Seriously? You think a computer needs that? Fire bell equals 3000psi to the brakes.... no reaction needed. Our cockpits are so far behind what is available right now in the real world it's not even funny. Look at the google car...it knows where it is, can interpret red lights, stop for a kid or a pet that runs in front, it can negotiate a 4 way stop when 4 cars pull in at once, negotiate construction, etc. Flying is infinitely simpler than driving as far as complexities go. Tie TCAS into autopilot...bam, no more mid-airs. It goes on and on.

We sound like every other industry that has gone away due to automation. We're too important, blah, blah, blah. It's coming. Once they show flying boxes is safer than a human at the controls then we are toast as a profession. It may not happen in 20 years....but I bet within 50 for sure.

I'm all for preserving our jobs...and will fight to keep us in the cockpit. But that has everything to do with wanting to keep my livelihood and get paid, and nothing to do with safety being more important. This industry is safer now more than anytime in the last century. That's due to automation, not in spite of it.

I know, right?

Just out of curiosity. Why does my airplane have such strict limits on autoland?

 

[N1atEcon]

Hmmmm, Hudson River and Sioux City IA are two cases where a computer would have killed everyone. Those accidents took great pilots to say " I'm not going to die today so what can I do to pull this off."
I know a lot of pilots have killed a lot of people too but I know I am not ready for this in my lifetime.

 

[JT12345]

You would think boats would automate first. That is even simpler, but nope. Those captains and officers make more than alot of us. A feking sanitation worker in NY makes more than a lot of us and they are considrring this for airplanes. They start at 70k and average over 100k Plus pensions. Lol.

Automate the garbage pickup and then get back to me.

Gmafb

 

[crxpilot]

You would think boats would automate first. That is even simpler, but nope. Those captains and officers make more than alot of us. A feking sanitation worker in NY makes more than a lot of us and they are considrring this for airplanes. They start at 70k and average over 100k Plus pensions. Lol.

Automate the garbage pickup and then get back to me.

Gmafb

Thats actually not a bad idea!

 

[shagadelic]

You would think boats would automate first. That is even simpler, but nope. Those captains and officers make more than alot of us. A feking sanitation worker in NY makes more than a lot of us and they are considrring this for airplanes. They start at 70k and average over 100k Plus pensions. Lol.

Automate the garbage pickup and then get back to me.

Gmafb

I don't disagree. I'm just looking forward to my car driving my drunk a$$ home from the bar.:beer:

 

[nwaf16dude]

I don't disagree. I'm just looking forward to my car driving my drunk a$$ home from the bar.:beer:

That is some tech that I could use. Robot airplanes...not so much.