A cargo plane flew 50 miles with no pilot onboard using a semi-automated system. An aviation expert says the technology could address the pilot shortage.::The flight system allows a plane to be remote operated by a pilot on the ground, which could streamline pilot airline operations in the future.
Considering most all commercial flights are fly by wire except for taxi, takeoff, and landing… not sure
“with no pilot onboard”
We’ve been flying things without pilots onboard as far back as WW2.
Bombs don’t count.
Target drones, not the buzzbombs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Tiger_Moth#Gunnery_target_drone
edit: I suppose you don’t have to land gunnery targets just like you don’t really have to land bombs.
Well, there is a pilot veteran with ptsd along the passengers, he could maybe do the job. And he knows one of the air hostess.
But he’s got that drinking problem…
Yes I understand and agree that this is not the right path to take.
Automation however is inevitable. There is proven tech that’s existed for decades, the only new things being added here are taxiing, takeoff and landing (and honestly takeoff and landing are already automated, they’re just not used as much)
And we currently see issues even with current (relatively) modest automation systems that are designed to prevent pilot error.
There’s way too many failures with current systems to even talk about full automation yet, in my opinion.
Let’s get current automation subsystems to much lower error rates first.
I’ve never seen a fuel injection system on a car suddenly stop delivering fuel for no apparent reason, then startup again. The computers for such systems in cars are tremendously over-engineered.
I can’t understand why we accept less for aircraft systems today. This didn’t used to be the case.