HPIC

I can’t see any way that single pilot ops will become the norm in the next 20 years...or even 30. Someday, yes...but I don’t see it happening anytime in any of our careers, and certainly not with the equipment we currently operate(or will be in the foreseeable future).

For example...Reaching the gear handle from the left seat is a stretch. Doing it while hand flying immediately after liftoff could be a bit of a challenge, but doable. Reaching the gear handle single pilot after losing an engine at V1 at MGTOW would be dicey and potentially cause problems. It would take a tremendous amount of work(money, more specifically) to retrofit any of our aircraft for true single pilot ops along with the backups that would be required to land the airplane should the pilot become incapacitated. The autopilot can’t move the flap handle, gear handle, speedbrake handle, auto brake selector, etc...

If, in the future, aircraft are specifically designed to be operated single pilot and outfitted with the secure datalink capability for somebody on the ground to be able to take over if needed...perhaps single pilot airline ops will become a thing.

I’m not worrying about it because I know it won’t happen in the half of my career remaining and most likely won’t happen in my lifetime.

TiredSoul

I’d say you could probably hold CVG within 9-12 months.
That’s a yes to your question.

midwestpilot

Thanks again all, I appreciate it!

So I take it CVG isn't the most junior of bases?

CRJJ

It is for the 737 and the 777 :-)

profitpilot

How long to hold CVG for the 74?

CRJJ

12/07/20 cvg 747

C17B74

Single pilot, quite off in the distance. You must really concern yourself with current 4 crew down to 2 crew same duration. That has already been tabled by Cathay and a European outfit already this year. 797 was 1 pilot left/box in the right, granted you probably needed the other pilot sleeping behind with access to a lav… 797 was cancelled due to the viral debacle for now. Insurance will be tough on no pilot Ops, but once again 4 to 2 pilot ops is very doable if your outfit is replacing their fleet at the right time with gobs of money to invest. Having a pilot or 2 to blame keeps insurance low. Atlas doesn’t seem like the one to invest in that, just my thought. Cutting edge type outfits with fleet upgrade requirements and cash, that’s probably the first to roll into the 4 to 2 monkey concept. How long did we keep the classics… Or how long does our 74 fleet have, but wait there’s more… plenty of 74’s not flying as of recent so iron is available to convert…

Dash742

In the case of the real Classics (747-300/-200) a major limiting factor near the end was a dried up parts pool. When no one else is operating the equipment the wait for parts, even the most basic parts, becomes days.

Elevation

I saw Airstan is flying at least one of the old, Kalitta 200s. I wonder if they're getting parts from Iran Air, Mahan Air or something?

Not that it really matters. Just something I wonder about while reading the news.

Dash742

I am sure that the parts are available, it is just having them where you need them when you need them. It is a lot easier when you have access to the parts pools that include Lufthansa/KLM/Cathay etc.. When that no longer works the choice is large parts inventories at your operating locations or long delays waiting for parts to show up. It is Atlas, so the later.