Fred Smith Interview
 

Video | Special Report | Bret Baier | Fox News Channel

Fred talks about unmanned flying at 12:55.

How do you transition to Unmanned Freighters
 

Just implement them and hope your pilots dont really mind ?

Looks like I missed him talk, it's almost 15:30 here now. It was only a matter of time before the women tried to take over. They're even having a conference this weekend...

Just watched it, no drones in the near future for FDX. On the link Yoda2.

Good interview...

I know it's fox, Jackal. I liked it anyway....

He's healthy looking, in that he certainly is not lacking in nutrition.

Uasopscc
 

Brilliant dude. He said something with regard to UAS that I see as a real possibility. A UAS ground support center to aide a single pilot (versus 4 on the long haul legs) in the aircraft. What would that do to reduce the OPS budget? Shareholders would be grinning from ear to ear. There may never be a fully autonomous airliner flying around, but the above model is possibly just over the horizon.

He's talking about the 12:55 mark of the 17:44 length video.:rolleyes:

onetime...
 

I would only add that he said "pilot or pilots" and I'm thinking that there might always be at least two on board the long hauls to protect from pilot incapacitation, etc. It would still be a net loss for using RFO's which would be bad for the pilot group:(

Agreed, let's hope that time is farther away than not.

Yes. Like Dark Lords of the Sith: "Two there are always -- a Master and a Student." ;)

Closer than you think.
 

It's closer than you think.

http://humansystems.arc.nasa.gov/gro...%20Systems.pdf

Fellas...

I'm not drinking the Kool-Aid, and yes, the UAV element is disconcerting, but...

Who would you rather have running your company?

I don't see too many other CEOs out there better than Fred Smith.

Big picture wise, he is right... if the government can somehow see through the muck and adopt pro business policies it fixes a lot of our problems and we are all better off.

And, if SPO is a stepping stone to full UAS commercial traffic, wouldn't it make sense that cargo ops would be the first step in SPO over pax for public acceptance?

There are numerous human factors issues that would require mitigation prior to implementing such a system. Being technically possible is a lot different than feasible. It would also require the manufacturers to build it, and that would mean that they are building something specific to cargo operations (which would raise the costs).

When you start seeing most road traffic operating this way, then start to be concerned. Until then, it is really not on the radar.

Anybody that believes they can keep SA while watching screens on the ground has never flown into India.....

Add to that rail. The only automated trains you see are small monorail/airport type, and mostly in Disney! Not in our careers folks, but hey, it's fun to worry about!;)

Hmmm, 1st contract....Red Letter "We will replace you"........2nd contract...."plenty of out of work pilots out there, we will replace you"........Next contract 'We will replace you with Irish Pilots".........This contract....."we will replace you with computers".......anyone else see a trend here? LOL ;)

Perfectly stated, from a guy flying a 50 year-old, 3-man jet in 2013 ;)

Small point but none of the Disney trains are unmanned. I've seen a few at airports, but that's it.

Notice that these "the UAV's are coming" presentations are always coming from government employees. Nobody that actually has to turn a profit is talking about it. Watch the Fred interview.

Company Sells Anti Drone Equipment
We can fix this no problem.... Anyone own property south of the airport?:D

Who's going to mentor the new captain in single pilot operations?

You mean, Who’s going to change the diapers on the over 60 Captain in single pilot ops?:D

I guessing your a lot closer to "Depends" than puberty. :eek: We are all heading to the inevitable. When your a teenager, 65 is old. When your considerably older, picking on Grand dad seems slightly hypocritical! ;)