Globe & Mail on the future of Pilots

Discuss topics relating to airlines.

Moderators: sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako, North Shore

User avatar
Flywest
Rank 2
Rank 2
Posts: 82
Joined: Sun May 15, 2005 1:19 pm

Globe & Mail on the future of Pilots

Post by Flywest »

If you're in the mood to make a perfectly lousy week in Aviation even worse, then might I suggest surfing on over to the Globe & Mail's website and checking out Paul Koring's wonderful new article titled:

AVIATION IS FAST APPROACHING THE POST PILOT ERA

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/wor ... e23676871/

I know we've all read articles musing about single pilot cockpits and the rise of the drones...all of which contain a degree of truth...but this one takes the cake! As if his condescending writing style, and general ignorance of aviation isn't enough, I know you'll all especially enjoy the part where he compares those in the piloting profession to elevator operators...

Pour a Scotch and enjoy!!!

FWIW take it with this grain of salt: (perhaps Tequila then instead of Scotch) The same regulatory authorities that he claims will be be constructing a vast network of pilotless aircraft infrastructure in a mere 15 years....have yet to put centreline lights and an ILS on the most commonly used runway in our nations capital.
---------- ADS -----------
 
Tanker299
Rank 3
Rank 3
Posts: 166
Joined: Tue Jan 12, 2010 7:16 am

Re: Globe & Mail on the future of Pilots

Post by Tanker299 »

And yet trains are still being manned by people. Even though there are a few examples of automated trains I don't see CN,CP, VIA or the light rail transit systems laying off thousands of operators. The elevator operators comparison was great, if an elevator fails it just stays in the place it failed. Planes fall out of the sky.
---------- ADS -----------
 
timel
Rank (9)
Rank (9)
Posts: 1209
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2010 12:50 am

Re: Globe & Mail on the future of Pilots

Post by timel »

The day they figure out computer intelligence equal to human. Can't program a computer to answer all the probabilities possible in a flight.

+ The amount of sensors, cameras, probabilities, debuging, maintenance, probably cheaper to keep pilots and hotel rooms.

BS for journalist, keep on dreaming.
---------- ADS -----------
 
Gilles Hudicourt
Rank 10
Rank 10
Posts: 2227
Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2012 5:51 am
Location: YUL

Re: Globe & Mail on the future of Pilots

Post by Gilles Hudicourt »

http://dronewars.net/drone-crash-database/

Very incomplete database of drone crashes. Canada alone crashed about 15 drones......
---------- ADS -----------
 
7ECA
Rank (9)
Rank (9)
Posts: 1281
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2014 4:33 pm

Re: Globe & Mail on the future of Pilots

Post by 7ECA »

A day after the crash, the narrative had already been written. FO goes postal, depressed, suicidal, had visions of grandeur, etc... Poor bastard, and his family, have been absolutely dragged through the mud by the media.

At least wait until the FDR is found, and the data processed, before you starting coming out with allegations.

As for pilotless aircraft, when the first one crashes, which of the talking heads on CNN, or FOX, or SUN News (whoops, good riddance :wink: ) will be first to beg for piloted aircraft again? :prayer:
---------- ADS -----------
 
timel
Rank (9)
Rank (9)
Posts: 1209
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2010 12:50 am

Re: Globe & Mail on the future of Pilots

Post by timel »

Gilles Hudicourt wrote:http://dronewars.net/drone-crash-database/

Very incomplete database of drone crashes. Canada alone crashed about 15 drones......
:lol:
---------- ADS -----------
 
palebird
Rank 4
Rank 4
Posts: 265
Joined: Thu Sep 11, 2008 6:17 am

Re: Globe & Mail on the future of Pilots

Post by palebird »

You guys are too funny...it is the future, choose to ignore it at your own peril..
---------- ADS -----------
 
timel
Rank (9)
Rank (9)
Posts: 1209
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2010 12:50 am

Re: Globe & Mail on the future of Pilots

Post by timel »

palebird wrote:You guys are too funny...it is the future, choose to ignore it at your own peril..
Yup planes will fly on their own with google map, we will have robocops taking care of speeding tickets, robots will do everything; No more taxi drivers, no more pizza delivery guy, no more factory jobs, no more service jobs, no more nothing, we will be all programing computers, we will have a mobile chip transplanted in the head with a credit card number and we will eat transgenic food ... then human revolution like in the movies and the matrix. The 1% will be living in space and we will all die.

For now to enjoy the ride.
---------- ADS -----------
 
Last edited by timel on Mon Mar 30, 2015 7:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
Legacy
Rank 7
Rank 7
Posts: 539
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2005 9:05 pm

Re: Globe & Mail on the future of Pilots

Post by Legacy »

palebird wrote:You guys are too funny...it is the future, choose to ignore it at your own peril..
A very uneducated response. Unless you meant the year 2090 but used a vague answer instead.
---------- ADS -----------
 
esp803

Re: Globe & Mail on the future of Pilots

Post by esp803 »

66 years.

It took 66 years to go from "Hey look, I'm flying for a couple hundred feet and I weigh more than the air around me" to "Hey look, I'm standing on another F^*&ing planet (okay, technically a moon), and I made it back"

What I think a lot of people fail to take into account when you say this will never happen is that technology is exponentially increasing it's rate of increase. Here are a couple brief talks by a guy named Ray Kurzweil. A former CP of mine mentioned one of his books a couple years ago to me. His research is quite interesting regarding the coming invnetion of "the singularity". Essentially when genuine AI becomes a reality. Today's computers can't do what a human does... but tomorrows computers... I'd say it's highly likely. I'd encourage you to pick up and read a couple of his books, particularly "The Singularity is Near".

Do I think I'll see pilotless aircraf during my career (I expect I have almost 40 years left), yes. Do I think it will eliminate all pilots, no.

Anyways, enjoy these two talks if you have a couple minutes to spare.

E

http://www.ted.com/talks/ray_kurzweil_o ... anguage=en

http://www.ted.com/talks/ray_kurzweil_g ... anguage=en
---------- ADS -----------
 
pelmet
Top Poster
Top Poster
Posts: 7138
Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2005 2:48 pm

Re: Globe & Mail on the future of Pilots

Post by pelmet »

Buffalo will still be flying DC-3's.
---------- ADS -----------
 
florch
Rank 3
Rank 3
Posts: 127
Joined: Thu May 18, 2006 9:22 pm

Re: Globe & Mail on the future of Pilots

Post by florch »

Probably, one day...when every agent is replaced with a kiosk, when you self scan through security, when a conveyor belt replaces every ground handler, when flight attendants are replaced by vending machines...those are all easier tasks on which to replace humans.
---------- ADS -----------
 
photofly
Top Poster
Top Poster
Posts: 11306
Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2011 4:47 pm
Location: Hangry and crankypated

Re: Globe & Mail on the future of Pilots

Post by photofly »

I think the flight attendants have the best job security of all those groups. They will, however, need the two week training course on how to operate the aircraft automation systems on the pilotless aircraft.

(This will be done from a small panel - just below the cabin lighting controls - adjacent to the entrance to the galley in the nose section where the pilots used to sit.)
---------- ADS -----------
 
DId you hear the one about the jurisprudence fetishist? He got off on a technicality.
User avatar
single_swine_herder
Rank 7
Rank 7
Posts: 627
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2012 9:35 pm

Re: Globe & Mail on the future of Pilots

Post by single_swine_herder »

photofly wrote:I think the flight attendents have the best job security of all those groups. They will, however, need the two week training course on how to operate the aircraft automation systems on the pilotless aircraft.

(This will be done from a small panel - just below the cabin lighting controls - adjacent to the entrance to the galley in the nose section where the pilots used to sit.)

Not so fast ..... Flight Attedants could be one of the first to be replaced by automation.

If Dr. Sheldon Cooper can have a virtual presence, so can a FA ....

https://youtu.be/uhZFo4VMzPk

[youtube] https://youtu.be/uhZFo4VMzPk [/youtube]
---------- ADS -----------
 
dukepoint
Rank 3
Rank 3
Posts: 165
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2013 8:40 am

Re: Globe & Mail on the future of Pilots

Post by dukepoint »

Code: Select all

c
palebird wrote:You guys are too funny...it is the future, choose to ignore it at your own peril..
Where the heck do guys like this come from???? No understanding of what we do whatsoever.

Over a pilots entire Major Airline career, they would earn less than 3 million dollars. Until they develop a component that can interface flawlessly with all aircraft systems, and deal with EVERY contingency imaginable while airborne...... as good as or better than a human pilot........and price that component LESS than 3 million dollars (including the connection interface), this is a rediculous concept at best.

There is no economic requirement for this. The development costs of creating a flawless interface alone would be astronomical. Think......every meteorological phenomenon, every solar phenomenon, every system anomoly, every ground based anomoly, and the requirement to be totally impervious to any form of ground based sabotage.

Good luck with the public sell. No airline would want to be first. No passenger would want to be first. Think about it for two seconds.

No single pilot airliner is on the drawing board at Boeing, Airbus, or Bomb......none. Fortunately they understand the value of a human pilot, and continue to develop aircraft with them at the heart. This is not projected to change any time soon. Sorry.

DP.
---------- ADS -----------
 
malamute1
Rank 0
Rank 0
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Mar 30, 2015 4:34 pm

Re: Globe & Mail on the future of Pilots

Post by malamute1 »

And how long has it been that we are still using voice transmissions with a dinosaur ATC system? It's a fairy tale imho.
---------- ADS -----------
 
goldeneagle
Rank (9)
Rank (9)
Posts: 1177
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2006 3:28 pm

Re: Globe & Mail on the future of Pilots

Post by goldeneagle »

dukepoint wrote: Over a pilots entire Major Airline career, they would earn less than 3 million dollars. Until they develop a component that can interface flawlessly with all aircraft systems, and deal with EVERY contingency imaginable while airborne...... as good as or better than a human pilot........and price that component LESS than 3 million dollars (including the connection interface), this is a rediculous concept at best.
Recheck your math, because that single machine doesn't replace just one pilot, it replaces all of the crews on staff to keep one airframe airborne. In a high utilization operation, that's a dozen or more, and somewhat smaller numbers at a low utilization operation, but not likely to go below 6, ie 3 crews.
---------- ADS -----------
 
AuxBatOn
Rank 11
Rank 11
Posts: 3283
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2008 6:13 pm
Location: North America, sometimes

Re: Globe & Mail on the future of Pilots

Post by AuxBatOn »

That, and an employee costs a LOT more than just salary...
---------- ADS -----------
 
Going for the deck at corner
parallel60
Rank 2
Rank 2
Posts: 73
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 4:59 pm

Re: Globe & Mail on the future of Pilots

Post by parallel60 »

Someone brought this up on PPRUNE. One very important thing to consider.....try and find a company that would insure a pilotless passenger aircraft. My lunch money is on..."Not gonna happen."
---------- ADS -----------
 
timel
Rank (9)
Rank (9)
Posts: 1209
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2010 12:50 am

Re: Globe & Mail on the future of Pilots

Post by timel »

parallel60 wrote:Someone brought this up on PPRUNE. One very important thing to consider.....try and find a company that would insure a pilotless passenger aircraft. My lunch money is on..."Not gonna happen."
Yup cause when things go wrong, it is the pilots fault.
http://avherald.com

Planes do get old, atc do mess up, computers do fail and saying you can program all off the probabilities that could happend in flight, good luck, that will be called artificial intelligence, we won't need surgeons, lawyers, bus, train drivers.... anymore....
---------- ADS -----------
 
Post Reply

Return to “General Airline Industry Comments”