SonicFlyer

Um actually no, not the case. Single pilot ops with pax in part 121 ops is decades away. In cargo, maybe less, but they all fly older planes, so then again, maybe not.

It will happen with newer generation planes eventually, but retrofitting current aircraft to be single pilot will likely be cost prohibitive. And since it takes decades for these things to depreciate to the point it becomes worth it, pretty much everyone employed at the moment will be ok.

SonicFlyer

It will be a multi-decade gradual transition. And it will indeed benefit because it increased efficiency and safety. But see my previous comment above.

SonicFlyer

This is patently untrue.

McDonalds that have touch screen ordering still have cash registers and cashiers at the front desk too.

Bigapplepilot

Airplanes crossing the pond used to have 4 engines. Then 3. Now two. That doesn’t mean taking one more away is going to be easy or logical. 3-1 is not the same as 2-1..

But in reference to the comments above about ‘50,000 people being taken out of the economy.’ Well, automation affects every human on the planet, including doctors and financial analysts. There is a hedge fund working on an algorithm to automate management. So in a weird way it’s not a worry because by the time this happens, there will be much larger issues to deal with. Remember, accelerating progress...

tomgoodman

A mole in the closed door meeting has revealed their nefarious plan: single pilots, monitored by F/As with cattle prods.

badflaps

And whips, don't forget whips........

TransWorld

And a bag full of cats, ready to open onto the flight deck?!

Elevation

I share everyone’s thoughts about how this automation will affect the future of aviation. However, is this something we can stop? While we can prevent funding for reasearch this time, eventually automation will affect us more than it already has.

Even arguments about safety only hold up in the short term. There used to be navigators, radio operators, engineers and pilots on the flight deck in years gone by. Similar arguments about safety were made as technology sequentially rendered those stations obsolete, yet, overall airline safety improved.

So perhaps we ought to change our paradigm? What if we add RPA operators to the rolls of ALPA and Teamsters? If we have contract language to add those guys to our seniority lists we ay do more to protect our futures than fighting to stem the tide of development.

C37AFE

Copilots going the way of the Nav and FE. Maybe I should get those A&P tools back out the shed!

Ronaldo

Whiskey, Sonic et al,

I completely disagree that studying this isn’t a threat. One study, one rule making NPRM period of 6 months and 18-24 months later all FOs at cargo operators are replaced.

This is coming from from the same group that refused TCAS on cargo planes, avoided 117 rest rules, etc. If you think gutting half the UPS, FedEx, Atlas, ATI pilot list isn’t a significant financial motivator, you are grossly underestimating the potential savings for cargo airlines.

This is absolutely a 3-5 year threat for cargo pilots and probably a 10 year threat for pax carriers. If I’m wrong, then we all wasted 5 minutes trying to avoid it. You’ll waste 10 times that in 2 trips to PHL waiting in a jetway driver.

1500 has less to do with this than the general rise in legacy/cargo compensation. Pilot supply to cargo operators (top tier) is not at risk. Maybe Atlas has difficulty but FedEx and UPS, like United, have no supply or shortage problems.