I think it may surprise many as to how quickly the change could come. The ONLY thing standing between us and pilotless airliners is FAA inertia....and that logjam is finally starting to break. I was one of those "someday but not anytime soon" types right up until the Asiana crash. Several articles written in the wake of that accident pointed out the increasing level of automation in the cockpit and the corresponding decline in basic airmanship of more & more pilots these days. As the job has gradually shifted to more of automation manager than pilot, we have truly become the weakest link....and the weakest link will eventually be replaced. With driverless cars going mainstream within the decade, passengers will soon lose their fear of pilotless aircraft, IMO.

Keep a sharp eye on FDX & UPS. They'll be the first.