Originally Posted by
Name User
No, it has not been possible to push a button and have an aircraft obtain weather for all available airports within calculated range, assess terrain based on position, pull from an electronic database of approaches, execute them, communicate intentions over 121.50 via voice, land, come to a stop, shut off the engine, and open the doors since the 60's.
Sure it has. DoD and NASA did things far more complex than that back then. It just would have been very expensive.
Originally Posted by
Name User
I do agree that if that is their plan for single pilot ops I doubt the administrators will approve it but it's interesting nonetheless. But Boeing and Airbus have publicly stayed they will be ready for single pilot in 3-4 years.
They must be hoping someone will carry their water up Capitol Hill then, because there's political or regulatory interest in that. Remember it's not going to change ticket prices because they guy they get rid of will be the FO.
Originally Posted by
Name User
Before the MAX issue they trusted pilots...they have had a complete revision in thinking afterwards. Remember they had said the 797 would be two pilot. Now the opposite. They have completely shifted their mentality towards operating aircraft from "pilot first" to "pilot optional". I think they saw just how bad the pilots screwed up (leaving thrust set at t/o while exceeding Vmo) and finally realized the Airbus way is better and safer.
Several pilot teams saved their planes from MCAS induced crashes (including the plane that crashed the next day with a different crew), it's laughable that anyone would trust Boeing to make a single or zero pilot plane any time in the foreseeable future?
Originally Posted by
Name User
Perusing through Aviation Herald you see lots of incidents that are caused by human error that don't result in fatalities (but could have). I would think over time they will take steps to increase automation to slowly trap all those errors.
Additional automation to help trap errors is entirely plausible... that kind of thing *could* evolve into reduced crew complements, but only many, many years of operational experience and evolution.