Pilotless automated airliner?

[carusoam]

Chesley is the guy that is proven to fly when there is no thrust to control...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chesley_Sullenberger

Best regards,

-a-

[AndyFromCB]

Yes, because there is a single human on this board that can fly an ILS better than my old school KFC 150. There is not one person here that can do a better job. I'm sorry, but soon enough being a pilot, or being a driver will be relegated to weekend activity for crazy old guys with too much money.

 

Stability and traction control software have already proven that a car can drive itself better than any human can. That's why they are banned from F1. A Nissan GTR is all software and it simply smokes everything out there.

 

And I am fine with that when I want to get from A to B. When I want to screw around, I'll take a Husky up or a Honda S2000. CTL-ALT-DEL is for consumer grade hardware, I have server machines that have not been rebooted in years and they do things a lot more complicated than flying an aircraft.

 

Events like Sioux City or Hudson are flukes and they can be programmed for. They already have been programmed for. It's called B2 or F22 or F35. Those aircrafts are essentially drones already. They cannot be flown by a human, they are not flown by a human. Without software actually actuating the flight controls, they will simply fall out of the sky. The hardest part has already been solved. The actual part of saying go left 10 degrees, up 5 degrees, level off at 3000 has been solved since 1960s with analog hardware, way before a concept of software actually existed. The pilot doesn't do anything but says turn 5 degrees right, stay level. Almost all crashes as of late are people fighting software, not the other way around. Eliminate the pilot and eliminate 85% of all crashes. Eliminate the maintenance personal and replace them with robots and you eliminate the other 14.5%. The rest will be solved with a software update.

[wishboneash]

The assumption is that these automated systems still function when there is as catastrophic failure and they still operate in a crippled state. A pilot has intelligence far beyond than any system, and when the chips are down has far greater instincts to preserve life in the plane and those on the ground. I agree when things are working well automated systems are far more precise and accurate in their control of the plane.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[ArtVandelay]

Y'all do know that they will have autonomous cars, supposedly by 2020...

[carusoam]

Who is going to be able to afford these magical devices?

-a-

[AndyFromCB]

Maybe we should let computers robots do the 100% of the designs, programs and construction now too ... to eliminate the human element and chance that those human engineers and programers might make an error?

I have had to (call and watch maintenance) reboot or replace those sensors and computers in aircraft numerous times after failures Flight control computers, electronic engine controls, air data inertial reference units, display electronic units, stall warning computers, proximity sensing electronic units, TCAS, GPWS, failed auto-lands ... Duel GPS failures ... Pressurization controller failures ... Erroneous engine fire warnings ... Hydraulic leaks ... to name a few ...

I wonder what sort of computer we can come up with to remain unaffected and diagnose system status following a lightning strike, or un-forecast severe icing?

 

I am not trying to make an argument for the sake or argument here but each time you fly an Airbus or a Boeing 777, Boeing 787 or 747-8, you are already flying an aircraft where majority of flight controls are already controlled by computers and software, even in case failure causing direct law. There is no mechanical or simple electrical connection between the side stick and the servos. Software receives inputs from side stick/yoke, sends commands down to servo computers, which then in turn execute such commands. And yes, they remain unaffected by lighting strikes. For all intents and purposes, they already are pilotless drones. 

[FlyDave]

Very interesting commentary on automation in the cockpit:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0rYX-Jn6o8