Jetjok

It's good to see that UPS is starting to slum.

L'il J.Seinfeld

I'm with ya brother. It's amazing that our union leaders are oblivious to the coming of unmanned cargo. I'm 35 and do not expect to have a job in 15 years let alone when I am 65.

PastV1

Fli,

Don't think it was an offer per se'. Anyone could go back on AD and UPS would not have anything to say about it.

Past...

MaxKts

And when the winds are out of limits for this do you have a crew standing by to fly the route? Where are the cost savings in that?

It's all about the $$$. Getting all this certified by the FAA is going to be more than a few hundred dollars. How much can you buy a GPS for? How much does the one in the airplane cost (and it doesn't even have a moving map)? Who is going to do the remote piloting? The list can go on and on!

Until it is substantially cheaper and more reliable (how many times is it crew problem vice a mechanical problem that delays a flight?) to do this - it aint gonna happen. Pilots are cheap (inexpensive) compared to all the other requirements. Plus, you will still need pilots to sit at the console to fly these things.

KnightFlyer

Ha Ha. The FAA can't get a modern ATC system on-line with technology that has been around for awhile and you think they can establish robust UAV operations over our skies anytime soon?

MaxKts

So what are you willing to give up for a "just in case this happens"?

Our contract already has a provision for a/c conducting revenue operations will be flown by pilots on the master seniority list. So sitting in a cockpit or at a console we still fly the a/c.

LivingInMEM

I don't think crew manning ratios would be the same for remotely operated aircraft as they are for manned aircraft. Someone will be flying them, but not as many someones.

dtfl

Im going to drive to MEM and kick you in the balls for that comment.

MaxKts

So, sitting at a console you can fly (remotely) for more hours than in the actual a/c?

So, sitting at a console you only need one person monitoring things for longer hours than in the actual a/c?

So, sitting at a console the a/c can fly itself while you get up to take care of physiological needs while in the a/c one person has to remain at the controls?

There will still be a/c piloted by pilots out there and you will have ATC to deal with on a real time basis - it's not going to be like going to the sim every 6 months!

So, because the a/c is remotely piloted the FAA is going to change all the rules so it takes less people to fly it?

Also, you have the electronics in the a/c and the electronics in the console that could fail. So, if your console locks up - is there a backup? Do you just jump into the console next door or is there another crew waiting - just in case?

See where I'm going here? It is going to require many rule changes at the federal level to use less pilots and we all know how fast the government works!

The technology is out there - the cost benefit and rules are not.

PastV1

Got a good laugh out of that one!