It is pretty well decided that the next generation long-range strike platform will be "optionally manned." My concern is the ATA making the argument that "If we can trust the AF to carry nuclear weapons on unmanned platforms, surely they are safe enough to carry passengers." I bet 30-40 years ago the concept of subways and trains with no driver would have seemed preposterous. Granted, you can't just pull a plane onto a side track and park it if something goes wrong. However, there must be a lot of checks and balances in place to keep two of those trams from colliding head-on in MSP.

I think single-pilot ops will come to cargo first, which is actually a major reason I don't have an active application at Fed Ex right now. If it comes to cargo in 20 years and pax ops in 30 years, I'll just slide under the wire. I definitely won't be pushing my kids toward this career, though!