CEO says unmanned flights are 5 years away

Maybe in a generation or two. Do you really think that people who buy satellite TV services or take their computers to a repair shop are going to put their flip-flops and hawaiian shirts on and pile in to the back of an airplane driven by a computer? You're mad as a Mexican's dog. The people who ride around in the back of the bus, by and large, are not the people who watch Ted Talks. If I were 20 years younger and just getting in to this mess, I might worry about what might happen as I approached retirement. But if you're over, say, 30, "computer took mah jerb" ought to be right down there around "Asteroid headed our way and Ben Affleck is too busy filming Batman" on your list of concerns.

While eloquent and humorous as usual, I cannot share your optimism. I don't think people will really know what they're getting on. I remember after the Buffalo accident people saying, "I'll never ride on Colgan,"just to have to explain to them that their ticket to Boston to see grandma might be on Colgan despite the fact that they "booked on Continental's website!!!"
 
The cost to certify an aircraft can bankrupt even the largest airframe manufacturer. Imagine trying to convince the FAA your new drone carrying 200 people at 35000 ft going 400 kts in airspace that includes human pilots, because a lot of the new aircraft flying today will still be flying for quite awhile, is safe. Airbus is funding research into small electric aircraft as the stepping stone to what they feel is the next big sea change in aviation.
 
$30K? No way, not once, not ever. The installation without parts would probably cost more. The cost to automate a Cirrus, which already has some of the required technology, and certify it to carry 4 non-pilot passengers would likely exceed the cost of 2 new SR-22s.
I used to be the MX supervisor on a large unmanned system. I can assure you that the boxes cost $30k. What the government paid is a different story and something we, as tax payers, should all be angry about.

The first aircraft certified to fly single pilot will cost $5mil extra, the second will cost $100k and then they'll start rolling off the line already setup. If JC existed around the time we made the conversion from round motors to turbines I'm sure there would have been plenty of folks saying "no way, not once, not ever" but the funny thing about technology, it trends up and cheaper.
 
I used to be the MX supervisor on a large unmanned system. I can assure you that the boxes cost $30k. What the government paid is a different story and something we, as tax payers, should all be angry about.

The first aircraft certified to fly single pilot will cost $5mil extra, the second will cost $100k and then they'll start rolling off the line already setup. If JC existed around the time we made the conversion from round motors to turbines I'm sure there would have been plenty of folks saying "no way, not once, not ever" but the funny thing about technology, it trends up and cheaper.

I can't even put a glass cockpit in my Mooney for $30k. You live in a fantasy world.
 
Add it up. You get two screens full IFR, plus installation, you're WELL over $30k. Trust me, I've priced it. :)

This is called moving the goal posts and is a technique used to try to say, "Uhh, no I wasn't wrong, you were wrong!!!" A single screen Aspen (which is a glass cockpit), IFR install is not $30k. Even so, with what you want you're not that far off from $30,000 with the Evolution 2000 install - you can certainly buy the boxes for less than 30g. The reason I'm busting your balls on this issue is that I don't think you know who you're talking about in regards to UAS. @esa17 knows what he's talking about with all this stuff, more so than the "you're living in a fantasy world" implied. He did UAS for a living, he worked on them, flew them, the whole shebang - I personally know this guy. He knows what's up and instead of saying, "wow, that's crazy, really?" You imply that he doesn't know what he's talking about.

In this thread we have an actual expert on UAS saying, "not so fast" to the nay-sayers and the first thing you guys do is attack the person with an ad hominem attack. If I rolled into your office and told you that you didn't know what the hell you were talking about how likely would you be to engage in conversation with me? You wouldn't, you'd probably tell me to f-off and you'd lock the door on my way out. Conversation is exactly what this website is supposed to be about, and statements like this stifle conversation. Please don't drive away people on one of my favorite websites because you don't know how to disagree with someone respectfully, I'm tired of that nonsense and it's everywhere on here these days. You can say that you don't believe someone's claim without being a dick about it. A simple, "I don't believe that is true, do you have any evidence to further justify your claim?" is how you could handle that sort of thing with decorum.
 
This is called moving the goal posts and is a technique used to try to say, "Uhh, no I wasn't wrong, you were wrong!!!" A single screen Aspen (which is a glass cockpit), IFR install is not $30k

Negative. Do you consider a 757 to have a glass cockpit? I don't know anyone who does, yet it's pretty close to the equivalent of an Aspen single display. I've never called anything "glass" unless it's got the full shebang.

Even so, with what you want you're not that far off from $30,000 with the Evolution 2000 install

If you know someone who will do it for that price, please let me know. I certainly don't. The install isn't cheap.

Nevertheless, you're getting off of topic to try to deflect. An Aspen system is considered entry level glass. The "newest and bestest" GA glass cockpits are $100k options. And this guy is telling you that he can automate an airliner for $30k. Think about that.

@esa17 knows what he's talking about with all this stuff

Someone operating UAS equipment "knows what he's talking about" when it comes to integrating UAS technology into airliners and the NAS to the same extent that the average airline pilot knows what it takes to implement NextGen. In other words, not at all.
 
Doesn't the ughhh....original article quote the CEO saying this won't happen in commercial aviation in our lifetime?
 
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