I'm curious to know how insurance rates will change be when they start reducing the number of crew members. May not make financial sense at first to invest in all this tech, only to get shellacked by your insurer for using it.

There’s been work on this in the background for years now. I know someone who does consulting with some big insurance firms for just this topic.

Might be a little early to get worked up. Germanwings and some others make single pilot ops a problem. Even during cruise.

Nonsense they'll just hire someone to sit up there with the remaining pilot who's still on duty.

We can call them.... a relief pilot!

oh wait....

Hahahaha, so an article discussing the possibility makes it a done deal? I’ve been reading about autonomous flight for over a decade with countless coworkers promising its imminent arrival. Nothing yet. Then I see the entire US system shut down due to a minor error in the FAA notam system. So color me not worried in the least over these pie in the sky ideas.

In the 121 world, single pilot ops during cruise would actually be kind of nice though. Wouldn’t mind getting a nap during flight. Still need 2…

Something tells me you have never heard a crew member say “please don’t let me wake up and find you sleeping”.

I guess you never of of the Air Force flying no pilot F16's, or Airbus testing a no pilot 757. Here is the states 402s are being tested with no pilot. GA is way ahead also, you can buy a Piper with the ability to to fly itself and land with passengers on board. PIlot has a heart attack? No problem, just push the panic button and the plane looks for the nearest suitable airport checks the weather, sets the squawk, notifies approach and the tower then lands the plane with the passenger only having to shut down the engine. Garmin has produced the avionics for years and a friend of mine has it in her Meridian. Oh it will come in my lifetime and I am 74.

My bad, a LEGAL nap…

Agree to disagree on the necessary level of automation and technology. That aside, the enormous cost of implementation on both the airlines and ATC create a rather large barrier and we can spend days talking about the needed regulatory change it would take to achieve approval.

Pilotless Boeings and Airbus will not be controlling the sky in your lifetime. Sorry…

The technology required for it does not exist today, it's not even in development. Your kids likely won't see it in their lifetime.