Are pilotless airliners going to be a thing?

Airline Pilot Questions & Answers
1

I read an article saying pilotless planes will make tickets cheaper but only 17% of airline flyers from different countries said they would fly In a pilotless plane. I think it’s a horrible idea and hope it won’t be a thing. Is this gonna happen?

2

I hope not as I have no other skills and would hate to look for a new career at my age :frowning:

Adam

3

I saw news articles that said Boeing is looking into it but this engineer psychologist at embry riddle said he thinks 20-30 years and even in thirty years only a few

4

Well that’s good. I feel better now since I’ll be done in 12. But the rest of you… :wink:

Adam

1 Like
5

James,

All due respect to Embry Riddle, but I have very little respect for the predictions they make. I bet that engineer that you saw quoted has never once flown a jet and has no real idea what is involved with flying. Heck, I just uploaded the new iOS 11.0.3 to my phone and the speaker phone quit working. When the engineers can actually get my phone to work correctly on the first try, then I will start worrying about my job.

Chris

3 Likes
6

James,

While technology advances everyday, I have absolutely zero concerns about pilot-less airplanes happening anytime in my lifetime. Flying is incredibly complex and above all else, requires human judgment. It takes many, many years to truly be comfortable flying an airplane and even then, a pilot is still learning everyday. I don’t even see the airlines going to one pilot in my lifetime, this is just not remotely a fear of mine.

Chris

7

My hypothesis could be wrong, but automation taking pilots out of the cockpit goes futhere than that. I also think it can effect the Air Traffic Control system. If it does happen now they have to implement new ways and procedure to communicate with thousands of different automated planes to taxi, takeoff, crusing, when to descend, to land and etc. Which can be a bit of a challenge. You have to be able to see the forest, not the trees(which means seeing the big picture).Hopefully it wont happen in my time. Lucky for me time is on my hands. But i can only sit here and see what the future holds for me