Originally Posted by C130driver

Don't you as an A320 pilot ever find yourself intervening during managed modes, heading select mode around weather, etc? We have two pilots for 2 reasons: contingency and CRM. A computer is no where near the point to be able to back up one pilot programming the "box." What happens when the pilot is incapacitated? The computer just knows to do what it is programmed.

Now you could argue that the second pilot would be in the ground station, but then how much are we really saving cost wise; considering the investment into the automation and still having to pay that guys' salary. Not much, not to mention the insurance costs and non monetary costs/risks. A cargo plane crashing isn't really cheap. The only true savings would be a pilot less cockpit but like I said that is generations away. AI would have to be developed to a point where it can actually make human like decisions

I don't fly C-17s, just an example, but the C-130J has a similar cockpit. Even on a routine mission there is no way one pilot could take it from start to finish.