Obligatory Pilot Shortage Article
#81
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)
There's an FAA roadmap for UAS systems posted here; nothing too impressive from what I see...am I missing something?
http://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives...FACT_Sheet.pdf
The FAA is more concerned right now with UAS's simply occupying the same space as manned passenger aircraft.
There's an FAA roadmap for UAS systems posted here; nothing too impressive from what I see...am I missing something?
http://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives...FACT_Sheet.pdf
The FAA is more concerned right now with UAS's simply occupying the same space as manned passenger aircraft.
Good post. I'll tell you what the FAA is most worried about. When I toured the General Atomics plant outside of San Diego, the project with the most effort, was trying to get the FAA to understand "sense and avoid" was just as safe, if not safer than "see and avoid" for aircraft avoidance in the congested airspace we work in today.
For obvious reasons, nobody wants to be aboard that one manned asset and see an autonomous or remotely operated vehicle closing in on their 3 to 9.
Once governing agencies retire a few "old heads". (Oops, did I say that on a public forum?) I think we can get past the antiquated thought processes of always needing a "windscreen" to look out of so that we can detect oncoming threats. (i.e. synthetic vision falls into this category)
GJ
#82
I remain a skeptic...keep us posted on the technological advances...it's interesting.
Unmanned tankers? How about a simple manned replacement for the KC-135? After 4 iterations we still don't have one...ridiculous.
#83
Elvis,
Good questions/comments/thoughts,
Good questions/comments/thoughts,
So do pilots fly these UAS's from ground stations or are they autonomous? Artificial intelligence???
Pilots flying UAS's from Ground Control Stations (GCS's) until they reach a "pre-contact" position. Then, "operators" on board the refueling aircraft bringing them from "pre-contact to contact and back again" until they hand control to GCS's again.
This is the most recent. I assume they'll have autopilot functions allowing for UAS refueling ops in the future, but if a person thinks about the simplicity of algorithms to bring an aircraft to the "same position" relative to another aircraft each time, it's plausible that our input (meat servo) can be subtracted from the scenario.
I remain a skeptic...keep us posted on the technological advances...it's interesting.
It does seem far fetched, but I've seen some of the testing first hand. There are things out there that make me wish I'd had a more important "Minor" in college.
Unmanned tankers? How about a simple manned replacement for the KC-135? After 4 iterations we still don't have one...ridiculous.
Coindidence?
Pilots flying UAS's from Ground Control Stations (GCS's) until they reach a "pre-contact" position. Then, "operators" on board the refueling aircraft bringing them from "pre-contact to contact and back again" until they hand control to GCS's again.
This is the most recent. I assume they'll have autopilot functions allowing for UAS refueling ops in the future, but if a person thinks about the simplicity of algorithms to bring an aircraft to the "same position" relative to another aircraft each time, it's plausible that our input (meat servo) can be subtracted from the scenario.
I remain a skeptic...keep us posted on the technological advances...it's interesting.
It does seem far fetched, but I've seen some of the testing first hand. There are things out there that make me wish I'd had a more important "Minor" in college.
Unmanned tankers? How about a simple manned replacement for the KC-135? After 4 iterations we still don't have one...ridiculous.
Coindidence?
Last edited by Elliot; 02-16-2011 at 05:01 PM.
#84
There will never be a shortage for well paying jobs!
As people get older and retire, every industry "should" begin to feel a shortage. What confuses me, is that if people are dying off as they get older, wouldn't that mean less passengers flying and therefore less aircraft flying?
As people get older and retire, every industry "should" begin to feel a shortage. What confuses me, is that if people are dying off as they get older, wouldn't that mean less passengers flying and therefore less aircraft flying?
#85
This guy is more interested in being right than he is in having a conversation where everybody inputs what they know. You stay pretty informed (read AWAST). I tend to lean toward what you are saying. Add automation but keep one guy in the cockpit as the backup. Not what I want but from all I have read that will be the next step.
#86
There will never be a shortage for well paying jobs!
As people get older and retire, every industry "should" begin to feel a shortage. What confuses me, is that if people are dying off as they get older, wouldn't that mean less passengers flying and therefore less aircraft flying?
As people get older and retire, every industry "should" begin to feel a shortage. What confuses me, is that if people are dying off as they get older, wouldn't that mean less passengers flying and therefore less aircraft flying?
Good point, but according to the 2010 census numbers vs. 2000 census numbers, the U.S. population alone grew by 29,411,673 people. That's 29 million more people in the U.S. alone, not accounting for the world population growth.
According to some sources, the world population has experienced continuous growth since the end of the Black Death around the year 1400. Current projections show an increase in population at a steady rate with the world population expected to reach between 7.5 to 10.5 billion people by the year 2050. The world population is presently estimated at around 6.9 billion people.
Hope that answers your concerns of "too many people keeling over", and possibly being out of a flying job anytime soon.
GJ
#87
There will never be a shortage for well paying jobs!
As people get older and retire, every industry "should" begin to feel a shortage. What confuses me, is that if people are dying off as they get older, wouldn't that mean less passengers flying and therefore less aircraft flying?
As people get older and retire, every industry "should" begin to feel a shortage. What confuses me, is that if people are dying off as they get older, wouldn't that mean less passengers flying and therefore less aircraft flying?
forgot to bid,
This guy is more interested in being right than he is in having a conversation where everybody inputs what they know. You stay pretty informed (read AWAST). I tend to lean toward what you are saying. Add automation but keep one guy in the cockpit as the backup. Not what I want but from all I have read that will be the next step.
This guy is more interested in being right than he is in having a conversation where everybody inputs what they know. You stay pretty informed (read AWAST). I tend to lean toward what you are saying. Add automation but keep one guy in the cockpit as the backup. Not what I want but from all I have read that will be the next step.
If there is a pilot shortage I fear the money won't go as some hope to increasing salaries to attract better pilots but to outsourcing a pilot to computers.
Either way, the technology sure seems headed that way and with Embraer making it public and FedEx hinting at it, it seems plausible. Go back 5 years and there wasn't an iphone, now look. Sure Gearjerk and those in his field have seen whats coming down the pipe on the DOD side of things and applying that to civilian markets doesn't seem far fetched. imho.
#88
None of this seems to be forecast to occur in less than 10 years but honestly, some upgrades to downlink capabilities and satellite communication and I could see someone pushing for ULH flights with just 2 pilots. That could be the wedge to open to single pilot ops.
Either way, the technology sure seems headed that way and with Embraer making it public and FedEx hinting at it, it seems plausible. Go back 5 years and there wasn't an iphone, now look. Sure Gearjerk and those in his field have seen whats coming down the pipe on the DOD side of things and applying that to civilian markets doesn't seem far fetched. imho.
Either way, the technology sure seems headed that way and with Embraer making it public and FedEx hinting at it, it seems plausible. Go back 5 years and there wasn't an iphone, now look. Sure Gearjerk and those in his field have seen whats coming down the pipe on the DOD side of things and applying that to civilian markets doesn't seem far fetched. imho.
YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST FOLKS!!
GJ
#89
So, how old can the single-pilot be? Haven't seen anyone address this. Are you really going to have a 777 going across the ocean with a 60 year old guy alone in the cockpit, while his 64.5 year old buddy is having a stroke in the crew bunk?
I tend to agree with Rick regarding the feasibility of this whole idea.
I tend to agree with Rick regarding the feasibility of this whole idea.
#90
So, how old can the single-pilot be? Haven't seen anyone address this. Are you really going to have a 777 going across the ocean with a 60 year old guy alone in the cockpit, while his 64.5 year old buddy is having a stroke in the crew bunk?
I tend to agree with Rick regarding the feasibility of this whole idea.
I tend to agree with Rick regarding the feasibility of this whole idea.
Again, I'm not saying it'll happen anytime soon, but if it were ever to near fielding wouldn't regulations for age/crew position be similar to the new laws being put in place for not having two 60+ guys flying in the cockpit now?
V/R,
GJ
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