Single pilot airliners may be
- Thread starter mshunter
- Start date
Boris Badenov
Fortis Leader
No one wants to talk about the elephant in the room here, but I think a huge part of the advantage of a crew aircraft is having another joker there to keep one from doing things like, I dunno, seeing whether or not anyone will notice if one does some aileron rolls.
Now, obviously, all of our modern little electronic tattle-tales make that particular scenario rather unlikely, but the principle remains. Certainly, the unions will scream bloody expletive murder and do everything short of crashing a few planes as a lesson.
Unless they can figure out some way to keep the majority of the people on the list employed, well paid, and with job security. In which case they'll merrily pull that ladder up behind themselves, just like every other generation. Hmm.
Now, obviously, all of our modern little electronic tattle-tales make that particular scenario rather unlikely, but the principle remains. Certainly, the unions will scream bloody expletive murder and do everything short of crashing a few planes as a lesson.
Unless they can figure out some way to keep the majority of the people on the list employed, well paid, and with job security. In which case they'll merrily pull that ladder up behind themselves, just like every other generation. Hmm.
Stone Cold
Well-Known Member
It's the old dog and the pilot joke. How much do dogs get paid again?
The other dumb question is how does the pilot get experienced enough to fly a 200+ pax airliner without being a f/o?
The other dumb question is how does the pilot get experienced enough to fly a 200+ pax airliner without being a f/o?
Boris Badenov
Fortis Leader
Stone Cold
Well-Known Member
You and I did it, so it must be the way. Belay my last. Carry on...Single pilot freight, duh!
knot4u
Repeat Offender
Easy, FSX.
Boris Badenov
Fortis Leader
You and I did it, so it must be the way. Belay my last. Carry on...
I have a hard time thinking of two better role models.
The chink in our armor on this one is going to be @mikecweb.
chrisreedrules
Master Blaster
I think we'll see pilotless freight operators before single-pilot airliners. Apparently FedEx has been quietly testing pilotless freight aircraft out over the Pacific to ascertain viability.
Boris Badenov
Fortis Leader
Apparently not quietly enough. Are they taking off from their secret volcano-atoll base?
Actually...I saw an interview with Fred Smith where he was asked about unmanned ops...he alluded to it not happening in a large commercial airliner. I think the interview was with Brett Baier.
Probably lack of funding and not viable, yet. This IS coming. It's already happening in freight and non 121 operations. It's just a matter of time. How much time, who knows. There will have to be caveats and carve outs. I simply don't see long haul going this way. There is a reason that there needs to be multiple crews there. But I can see RJ stuff going to something like this. To throw a blanket over this is wrong. But flying just really isn't that hard. And when you can get to the level of automation of JUST a 777, where it sees a failure, and sets everything for you, you literally just run the QRH to match switch positions, well. At that point, you are just there to monitor the damn thing, and the flying part is just to stay current, even if you do have to head to the sim every three months.
They would do a gradual phase out.
JDean3204
Well-Known Member
I have not had any experience in the cockpit of any of the a/c you mention, but I have been invovled in wiring cockpits for a completely new avionics suite and then some. That only took about 5-6 weeks, changing the placement and integration of certain systems will only take some engineering and blue prints in order to configure these A/C single pilot. If that is the case, replacement will not be needed, just a good few weeks to re wire the cockpit and give the PIC(in this case the only pilot on board) access to every switch and knob in the flight deck in order to conduct single pilot ops. Again, not really on board with that as I believe with the practice of good CRM the second pilot is vital to the safety of operations.
dasleben
That's just, like, your opinion, man
Every aircraft type would require STCs and single-pilot specific pilot training/typing. This alone would take years, not to mention union negotiations to amend current CBAs (and yes, I'm aware FEs fought this battle years ago, though that was a systems integration issue, not necessarily CRM-related). The actual mechanical work is just small potatoes. Current industry CRM practices would have to be completely overturned, as well.
Soku39
Well-Known Member
This is an elephant in the room for pilots, truck drivers, and anyone else that operates a machine for a living. The technology is there to replace every last one of us, and economics/capitalism dictate that just that will happen, it's really just that simple. Enjoy the ride while you can.
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ppragman
FLIPY FLAPS!
Yep, you're deluding yourself if you think it won't. The bush will probably be the last place to lose piloted airplanes, but it'll come there too.
JustinS
Well-Known Member
Once the price of such sophisticated equipment becomes cheaper than human operators, then yes. Right now, I estimate that technology with all the red tape costs far more than a pilot over the life of an aircraft. Plus you have public acceptance issues, and global interface issues...
Soku39
Well-Known Member
These will be overcome, consider that for a child born today a driverless car, drone and smart phone will be as plain as a tree to someone born in the 1950's. These changes are coming and they are inevitable. Most peoples jobs can be replaced by technology, it is up to policy to figure out a system where people can provide themselves with shelter and food, because most people will not be working 100 years from now.
I mean delivery drones are not a joke, it's sad, but they're coming, and I'm sure they'll be the size of a caravan. just airdrop it out.
