Originally Posted by zippinbye

Whaaaaaat? Fact check, please. What are those certain conditions? Is Tesla reworking the cockpit for us?
If the jet has an automatic takeoff capability, I should report to my nearest FSDO and turn in my A350 Type Rating. IQ, several CQ and currency sims and 1000+ hours in the ship, and I have never heard of this. I too saw that Airbus demonstrated automatic takeoff, but I think certified capability is in the future.

I honestly have not been following this subset of the thread (that I actually started by talking about 737 deliveries - nice thread drift btw). But this "factoid" caught my eye and I had to respond. Let me describe the A350 "auto-takeoff feature" and the human steps required to trigger it:

1) Like any other airplane, line her up and turn the lights on, etc.

2) Apply forward stick pressure and stand-up the throttles, I mean thrust levers, for initial matched spool-up at 25% N1, then take levers to the appropriate detent (FLEX or TOGA) ... no pesky buttons or lever actions required to make the auto thrust system do its thing.

3) Hang on and wait for 80 KIAS, just like all our other airplanes.

4) "V1, Vr" aft stick to achieve 12.5 degrees or follow FD if it's already up to the task.

5) "Positive rate - gear up" then NO SOONER than 5 seconds after takeoff, the autopilot can be engaged. If appropriate restrictions are in the FMS, it could be quite some time before pilot action is required to stay on the proper trajectory

6). The rest of the initial climb profile is just like any other Delta jet: human action required to reduce thrust, verify or alter vertical and horizontal nav modes and retract high lift devices.

So, that's the highest level of takeoff automation available on an A350 as far as I know. Pretty darn automatic compared to a 737, but a far cry from taking the pilot out of the loop.

Cool automatic stuff the A350 will do if you're a slacker pilot or simply unconscious: turn off course and descend to a safe altitude for a cabin decompression, perform a CFIT escape maneuver, respond to a TCAS RA (actually, we train to just let the ship do it) and turn on the radar display if hazardous wx is detected.

Cool stuff, but at the end of the day does it enrichen your life as a pilot? I don't really think so, but it sure is comfortable and quiet.

Originally Posted by Gone Flying

airbus test autonomous takeoff on a350

Originally Posted by gloopy

So?

Auto takeoff tech is theoretically way easier than existing auto land tech. Existing auto land tech is no where near ready for pilotless "prime time". So its basically a gimmic. Like asking Alexa what the temperature outside is. It tells you, but it only saved you 2 seconds. Full gate to gate no pilot ops (to the current spoiled rotten and fully expected and taken for granted 121 safety standards) will require levels of actuation and failsafe redundancy many, many orders of magnitude over existing tech. Single pilot ops will require 100% of that level of safety and redundancy because you'd always be "one heartbeat away" and the political capital of a tragedy easilly preventable by a second pilot would be financially unaceptable. Once that is achieved anyway, to impliment it will be far more expensive than an FO in the first place.

I do agree that 4 pilots ops may be targeted, and eventually 3. i think 2 is safe for quite a while, not because of lack of tech but due to costs.

Originally Posted by zippinbye

Become worried once Tesla keeps the backseat drivers alive and Uber ceases taking out pedestrians with their auto-drive technology the threat of hacking by nefarious actors is completely wiped out by the reputed competency of Delta IT.

Originally Posted by Planetrain

Obviously auto takeoff/landing is the low bar for Airbus to achieve. I’ll be a lot more impressed when they figure out how to make the plane understand French controllers.

Originally Posted by GogglesPisano

The real test will be if the plane understands Scottish controllers.

Originally Posted by zippinbye

Become worried once Tesla keeps the backseat drivers alive and Uber ceases taking out pedestrians with their auto-drive technology

Originally Posted by Trip7

An auto takeoff in a highly controlled testing environment and that's get you stating ummm this is awkward? Get back to me when this takeoff can be done at max crosswind limitations of the aircraft in gusty conditions. Or when it's actually certified at lower limits. Thanks.

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Originally Posted by JamesBond

LOL Stop digging. Nobody said it will happen this year or even five years from now. I believe at one point computer speed was doubling about every 2 or 3 years. That speed is the lynchpin of artificial intelligence. And with increasing speed comes lowered costs. Spacecraft already go to the ISS essentially 'pilotless' Why do you think an airliner is so tough?