[Moderators - this subject affects everyone but I had to choose a prefix? In "cargo" my choices were fdx or ups. In "major" section I had to select a specific airline.
Some subject affect us all but I didn't know how to select a generic thread?
Prefixes, while helpful, should be supplementary, not mandatory.
Just my opinion.
Feel free to move this thread to the appropriate section.]

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Definitely not advocating a doom & gloom scenario BUT young aviators looking at this profession shouldn't bury their heads in the sand either..
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Boeing studies pilotless planes as it ponders next jetliner

Boeing is looking ahead to a brave new world where jetliners fly without pilots and aims to test some of the technology next year, the world's biggest plane maker said in a briefing ahead of the Paris Airshow.

The idea may seem far-fetched but with self-flying drones available for less than $1,000, "the basic building blocks of the technology clearly are available," said Mike Sinnett, Boeing's vice president of product development.

Jetliners can already take off, cruise and land using their onboard flight computers and the number of pilots on a standard passenger plane has dropped to two from three over the years.

Sinnett, a pilot himself, plans to test the technology in a cockpit simulator this summer and "fly on an airplane next year some artificial intelligence that makes decisions that pilots would make," he said.

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Boeing studies pilotless planes as it ponders next jetliner | Fox Business

I was about to post this! You beat me to it.

I said it would never happen, and still believe it won't for decades if then... but I was wrong about Boeing heading in that direction.


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It will happen, it is just a matter of when.

I agree.

I just need 15 more years...

Think I'm probably safe.

THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING!

I've got 3+ decades left if I want to work that long...not worried about it regardless of what Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, etc. are "studying".

As I've written multiple times here, when the Air Force starts flying remote piloted (or even single-piloted with RP backup) transports into hostile AOs with men & material onboard....we'll still be a while from seeing similar operations in Part 25 transports flown by air carriers.

If you're under 45 you won't retire doing this job.

How many public buses don't have a driver? Or trains other then the airport ones?

Afraid to say I agree with you. As Ray Kurzweil points out (the modern day Edison and Chief of Google Engineering now), people tend to think linearly while technology moves exponentially. I truly hope I'm wrong but think this will happen quicker than most think. The big wild card will be regulations, unions, and beaucracies.

At least we're not truck drivers. Their days are numbered even sooner than ours.

I'd take that bet.

Look at FAR 25 and the redundancies required in transport aircraft for...then square that with reducing redundancy from eliminating pilots.

Also consider the required reliability of infrastructure involved, both in airframes and ground equipment like datalink. How would MELs work?

No doubt in my mind the recent discussions for "enhancing the ATC system" has pilotless aircraft in mind. That's just another step forward to a pilotless infrastructure.

How will MELs work? Better, because they will be built into the code for that aircraft. No more pilot required to dig through a DDG and remember operational procedures for certain deferrals. The computer will just know what to do.