C17B74

Bottom line. No one can predict correctly when, but it’s on its way no doubt. 15yrs, 50yrs doesn’t matter since none of us have control in these bleacher seats. Keep flying until you can’t just like the medical you can do nothing about when the showstopper hits you.

Keep at it, nothing is forever especially in this industry whether it’s your airline, your job, recession, pandemic, a furlough or two, health, war, etc. Hopefully you can enjoy some of your job and continue to benefit from it as nothing is guaranteed. If you get to the end by your own choice you’ve done well, until then carry on.

*Back in the late nineties and probably earlier a statement probably made by others - United “Welcome to the last job you’ll ever have!” during indoc per a great friend of mine. He’s still there and will never forget that speech…

PineappleXpres

That advice is nice, but it’s more hollow from those who are number 15,000 seniority or 27 years of age than for those 50 or flying Captain somewhere sweet. Pilots can dictate how fast things will be implemented after all, so simple resignation should be discouraged. Corporate greed and noble prize hungry scientists with delusions of grandeur shouldn’t be the reason we turn into sheep. Not worth worrying about, but also because there are tangible reasons.

AboveMins

I'm interested in hearing what they think of this.

flyguy23

They can plan and make projections all day long, but it means nothing until actual testing begins and a safety record can start to be established.

C17B74

Ha, you caught me Einstein hands down total shank in the ribs well done. Will admit to having a decade and some change left so not really worried as well as not being a part of a group that invests in technology unless it’s a proven cost benefit (like most, phasing out the panel seat was done at the end of that era). We’ll leave it to those who purchase new types of shiny new jets off the line. I have no real advice for those who bury their head in the sand, it is what it is. Your hints of a new era will be long haul from four or three pilots to two. When that happens I would start to think more heavily on the situation at hand = my broken record two cents as always. $ drives the train, demand dictates the requirements and a lack of supply or “shortage” may not help.

*A push for Age 67 or 70 from the outside on another thread might be a concern as well. I was thinking 62 for myself if the medical holds out who knows, but I’m sure there are a few thinking to ride a gravy train out if it fits their priorities at whatever the cost. I’ll ask myself in a decade before 65 closes in. Get that petition rolling or whatever it takes to keep seats…

PineappleXpres

What passed for a shank? Is a petition your mockery of a unionized workforce? Is that a shank? Godspeed Captain.

maxjet

You underestimate the power of media persuasion. The media has most of America believing that the sky is falling right now. Just like driverless cars when the comedians start to make jokes about it you know it is serious. When the stop making jokes about it, it is here.

Pilot unions should be discussing getting the best deal that can while they have negotiation capital.

3pointlanding

Aviation milestone: artificial intelligence flew a modified F-16 fighter jet for over 17 hours

JohnBurke

It's a lot scarier when you put it in large font. Maybe the sky really is falling.

Everybody get under a big, solid desk and hold onto your hat.

TheCrimsonKing

I'm a big believer in the concept of never say never, and I think the technology will catch up sooner rather than later, but there's a huge difference between an occupant-less fighter jet carrying no passengers and a pilot-less aircraft carrying 200-300 passengers. If that fighter goes down over the ocean or desert, there's only money at stake. I could see the military flying pilot-less fighters for decades before the technology is implemented with the general public.

That being said, technology moves fast. After the first iPhone was released it didn't take long for us put down our flip phones, cancel our cable and land line subscriptions, and center our whole society around our touch screen devices. They took over the planet in a very short amount of time. Not entirely analogous to automated aircraft, but you guys get my point. Given what's out there currently with AI, I could see the ability for automated flight to catch up very quickly. What I think will stand in the way will be regulatory hurdles and an ATC system that's still running on 1960's technology.

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