Originally Posted by
Rawhide51
The way I see it, it would be remotely piloted. So in the terminal area, you would have a man in the loop, albeit with a slight time delay. A computer/AI would be the follow on spiral, if you will.
At least you acknowledge that there's still a human being in the loop...
So it is one human pilot on the ground for one airplane? or are they controlling numerous aircraft?
What happens when ma and pa kettle pull the chute on their cirrus and inadvertently shut down that airport? Do all these AI/Computer controlled aircraft scatter to other locations with a pilot on the ground there?
This is a Pandora's Box of unexpected issues as one issue happens..
Originally Posted by
Rawhide51
Think about it. China decides to build a cargo freighter. Amazon decides to buy it. Will anyone care if a 767 sized drone is flying rubber dog crap from mainland China across the Pacific Ocean? XMN to ANC and back. Once that thing has upset the marketplace, just like other disrupters (i.e. Tesla, Amazon, Apple, etc) it will be game on. Even if the FAA says no to ANC, Canada or Mexico would be happy for jobs unloading that thing on a regular basis. Nobody is going to tell me that Mexico would say no for 'safety' concerns.
You give the Chinese aircraft industry more credit than I do.
All I have to do is look at what has happened at COMAC and ACAC to realize that what you envision is far from reality.
And I also think the residence of the airspace around ANC will also have something to say.
IF the Chinese develop such an aircraft as you mention, I would expect them to fly it within their own airspace before sending it over the Pacific.
Lets have this same discussion in 10 years and see where the world, China and the US has gone with regards to this..
Motch