Single pilot airliners may be

[mshunter]

right around the corner. NASA has been studying the feasibility of it. It's still years away, but is something to consider.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/single-pilot-cockpits-floated-in-nasa-study-1418611930

 

[gne in prog]

We've enjoyed high levels of safety for far too long, we need to change that and bring a little excitement back to airline travel.

 

[Boris Badenov]

jhugz is gonna fly that thing SPIFR and put you out of a job, Derg!

 

[skypilot6]

But who is gonna hold my Beer when I need to do something?

 

[CFIscare]

But who is gonna hold my Beer when I need to do something?

Like when you perform an aileron roll?

 

[ppragman]

What did I just say about two weeks ago and everybody was all "That'll never happen in our lifetimes/careers, EVER!"

 

[Cessnaflyer]

What did I just say about two weeks ago and everybody was all "That'll never happen in our lifetimes/careers, EVER!"

That's like one of those old Popular Mechanics headlines where they proclaim that an idea is never going to happen then 10 years later it is going on in full force.

 

[Boris Badenov]

*ducks to avoid all the flying cars*

 

[JDean3204]

Why wouldn't it happen? Heck the drop in labor costs alone will be enough for management to pursue single pilot certified operations. Not a fan of it, but I can see it happening within the next 10-15 years.

 

[ppragman]

Why wouldn't it happen? Heck the drop in labor costs alone will be enough for management to pursue single pilot certified operations. Not a fan of it, but I can see it happening within the next 10-15 years.

This is the right answer!

 

[knot4u]

The article is behind a pay-wall so I wasn't able to read it. I can think of a lot of reasons why single pilot operations in a large airliner are a bad idea. Some owner/pilots seem to be fine operating single pilot turbine aircraft, but the overall safety record is worse then with two pilots working as a crew. Studies have shown that most humans don't perform well when task saturated, imagine 200 people in the back IFR with an engine failure landing at minimums on a short runway.

 

[dasleben]

What did I just say about two weeks ago and everybody was all "That'll never happen in our lifetimes/careers, EVER!"

You can't claim "I told you so" status until one actually flies... With revenue passengers.

 

[FloridaLarry]

Sooner or later, it will happen. It's almost possible today, in limited circumstances. Airplanes do land themselves. Drones work. Derg could bike to work in a drone bunker outside Vegas!

The first question is: at what cost? In crashes, when things go beyond the automation's envelope. In lives, both in the aircraft and on the ground? When do humans step in as an incident starts? Will they have enough practice to know what to do (do they always now?) Will society accept the limitations and consequences? Will ERAU start a law school?

In a way, this reminds me of the head of the US Patent Office in (I believe) the 1890s, who seriously recommended that the patent office be shut down. Why? he was asked. 'Because everything that could be invented, already had been.' he replied.

 

[Minuteman]

A shameful lack of an ellipsis in the transition from thræd title to body text.

 

[dasleben]

Airplanes do land themselves.

Yeah, but still... I can tell you that I had to click off at 50' and manually land a few weeks back in Nagoya after the autoland (done in VMC for aircraft currency) did something wonky down low. Brand new (2012) 767-300F, too.

 

[Stone Cold]

Yeah, but still... I can tell you that I had to click off at 50' and manually land a few weeks back in Nagoya after the autoland (done in VMC for aircraft currency) did something wonky down low. Brand new (2012) 767-300F, too.

You're dangerous.

 

[mshunter]

A shameful lack of an ellipsis in the transition from thræd title to body text.

Arooo? You incapable of reading? I heard about it in AQP, did a Google search, and found that article. And I don't have a subscription.

 

[Stone Cold]

...

 

[Kingairer]

WHo is going to call ops when we need potable??

 

[Mark815]

Not a fan of it, but I can see it happening within the next 10-15 years.

So in 10-15 years every airliner out there that requires a 2 person crew (Every RJ, Boeing, Airbus etc) will be sold off, and replaced by an aircraft that is single pilot certified by the FAA that every airline will purchase? If that happens I'll eat my shoes.