NASA Launches Single-Pilot Airliner Study

Rockwell Collins has been tapped to lead a NASA-sponsored study into "single pilot" operations of commercial airliners. In a news release last month, the company said the study will determine the feasibility of SPO in airliners while acknowledging the considerable barriers in the way. "The aviation industry has been looking at the potential for single-pilot operations for quite some time to address concerns about future pilot shortages, but there are a number of technical, certification and policy considerations that must be addressed along the way," said John Borghese, vice president of Rockwell Collins' Advanced Technology Center, in a statement. While there might only be one pilot on board the aircraft, that doesn't necessarily mean he or she will be alone in operating the flight.

NASA is also looking at the feasibility of having some aspects of an airliner's flight operated from ground stations. Source: AV Web