Comments on: The Future of Travel: Autonomous Aircraft

By: Eric Boromisa

Eric Boromisa — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 06:09:00 +0000

In reply to Andrew Small. Yeah especially on grade separated single line tracks, yet so many other cities still use drivers - not sure why a simple control system wouldn't do

By: Andrew Small

Andrew Small — Fri, 06 Jan 2017 21:24:00 +0000

I remember 5 or 6 years ago getting into the first carriage of the Dubai metro. As it started off i relaized to my horror that there was no driver and i was the most forward person on the train. Subsequently i used the metro maybe 1000 times and im still alive.

By: Eric Boromisa

Eric Boromisa — Thu, 29 Dec 2016 17:34:00 +0000

In reply to phalseid. Yeah, y'know like those new fangled elevators... Definitely need an operator

By: phalseid

phalseid — Thu, 29 Dec 2016 02:35:00 +0000

I sat next to a frontier pilot on my last flight from PDX to DIA and asked him when he thought this could happen. He said, would you want to fly on a plane without a human at the controls? His comment gave me pause, but then I realized it will only be a matter of time before the question becomes “would you want to fly on a plane WITH a human at the controls?”

By: Doug

Doug — Tue, 27 Dec 2016 14:10:00 +0000

My guess is that eventually aircraft become autonomous enough that they are easily operated by a single pilot, and capable of flying themselves and/or being remotely piloted. This would cut pilot costs roughly in half, while not suffering the PR nightmare that comes from “pilot-less planes.”