Pilotless flying

[codash1099]

An interesting article. It's either a glimpse into the future or a pipe dream. Not sure that I would be comfortable on a plane without a pilot.

The three things that could kill the pilotless airliner

Demand for air travel is soaring, and pilots are in huge demand. But while we could build pilotless airliners, it doesn’t mean that they will ever enter service.

www.bbc.com

 

[jb747]

This article, like every other that I’ve read on this subject, makes an interesting omission. Yes, pilot error causes accidents. But, how many times, every day, does pilot intervention stop the automatics from doing something silly. Saves are not recorded.

For this to work....no failure of any system or subsystem, either on the aircraft or ground can ever cause the autopilot to disconnect, or even run out of ideas. The autopilot must be able to handle any form of failure. The programmers will have had to thought of every possible contingency, and then all of the impossible ones too. As a simple example, no oxygen bottle had ever exploded in aviation history, but one let go on QF30, and the very first system that it took out was the autopilot(s). All three of them.

Right now, it takes very little for Airbus’s best to lose the plot and revert to lower laws that require manual flight. When this happens these aircraft are much harder to fly than their predecessors. If each of these were to result in an accident, I guarantee that neither you, nor I, would ever set foot on an aircraft again.

 

[codash1099]

I suspect that you would always need a pilot to cover the cases when things go wrong. And would just one pilot provide enough of a safety margin (what happens if he gets ill?). So that leaves you no better off than you are now (unless of course you are willing to sacrifice the odd planeload of passengers).

 

[dajop]

QF72 is probably another incident which would raise questions, not to mention the Max8 debacle, where it seems the planes were flying themselves...

 

[CraigF]

I don't think I like the idea of pilotless flying myself, but even if you still need a pilot and co-pilot, the increased use of software to pilot can potentially result in less avoidable crashes.

 

[trooper]

I was watching a short youtube doco about Skylab...and (due to damage at launch) the first mission onboard was one of repair..... comments were made that THAT was the huge benefit of manned programs rather than unmanned. People can improvise and adapt....