We still have humans driving trains. Sorry, I just don't see this happening.

 

I dated a girl once who had to decide on whether or not to sell her soul to the devil. I'm afraid your niece did just that.

Those jobs are so corrupt. Why do you think they make the big bucks. She probably works 16 hours a day trying to make some rich dude richer by hiding his money as much as possible.

I hope I'm completely wrong.

 

They are testing DRONE cars in Nevada for god's sake, most car companies are testing cruise control "autopilot". Who would ever believe we'd be sending robots and drones into combat? There are plenty of automated train systems. NASA has been doing this stuff forever, and it's trickled down into nearly every facet of our life. Automated "airliners" are coming, it's just a matter of when. No, we aren't ready for them yet, but at some point, we will be. Think of how much money the company can save when you can just have a Sony robot up front there, maybe two for redundancy. No salary, no pension, no recurrent training, etc.

 

Completely on the money (pun intended). Like I said, the general culture is so insane...when I was eating lunch at the law firm I shadowed at, I overheard a conversation between two other colleagues discussing how to overcharge/over-bill hours for clients in different situations (and at $800 per hour, that's not insignificant!). Very eye-opening.

 

Yes, I believe the Google street view cars are already driverless in Nevada...

 

There are numerous threads and posts on APC helping to dispel the notion that a law career is a quick and easy road to financial freedom that it might once have been for a majority of graduates. One of the most recent posts was a link to a story of recent law school graduates possibly starting up a class-action law suit to sue the schools who practically 'sold' the idea to the graduates that there would be a high paying job waiting for them at the end of those 3 years.

skylover - I'm not sure why you would chose my post to quote when talking about grass being greener on the other side or when talking about your one day shadow of a lawyer. Were you trying to make a particular point in reference to a post I made or just in general?

USMCFLYR

 

Not aimed at you at all, mostly towards SkyHigh actually. I just wanted to add another point to what you replied to SkyHigh.

 

People like to build in all kinds of excuses for choosing a foolish career. Airline pilots and lawyers are in decline that does not mean that everything is.

Sometimes things are better elsewhere. New professions are being developed everyday that offer higher wages and where employees are in demand.

Choose a career where you are wanted and employers offer a solid compensation package and respect. The world is a much bigger place than just airline pilots, doctors and lawyers.

Skyhigh

 

As I have mentioned elsewhere I do not believe that pilots will disappear from passenger fights altogether but will still be there arms folded watching the show making their 35K per year. Automation has been rapidly invading the flight deck over the last 20 years.

Side A says never and side B says eventually. I think the short term reality lies in between. We will still have pilots up front but they will not be flying the plane anymore but serve as a back up system. Hand flying will be exclusively reserved for the flight simulator as an emergency procedure. Pilots will be paid a pittance and abused as management sees fit.

In trains I read that there is a lever that the "operator" must flip back and forth as means of proving to the system that they are still somewhat alert and awake. If they stop for a given period of time the brakes automatically go on and the train comes to a stop. Trains are exposed to many variables. People and objects on the tracks and such. Modern airliners will not need to have that switch. The pilots will just be allowed to sleep. (kind of like it is now. )

Skyhigh

 

"A pilotless airliner is going to come; it's just a question of when."

James Albaugh, the president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airlines


“Five years ago we passed the point where automation was there to back up pilots.” Flight Safety Foundation CEO Bill Voss


"Airbus is proud of the fact, they like to say that their plane is 'pilot-proof." Aviation lawyer James Healy Pratt


Skyhigh