The future?

N2 · Post by N2 » Mon Mar 12, 2007 2:25 am

From the latest AVweb email blast.

CARGO DRONE IN THE WORKS
Israeli Aerospace Industries is working on an airliner-sized unmanned aerial vehicle capable of carrying 60,000 pounds of freight. And the only reason it’s focusing on a cargo plane is that the flying public won’t accept a pilotless passenger plane. Shlomo Tsach, IAI’s director of flight sciences, told the Jerusalem Post the technology already exists to fly passengers without pilots but "the world is not yet ready to be flown without a pilot at the stick.” However, he said, a study by Boeing suggests there’s no such resistance to sending packages without direct human intervention, so the idea of a pilotless cargo plane is gaining some traction

neilaroberts · Post by **neilaroberts** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 5:03 am

Apparently FedEx has been eyeing this concept for a very long time as well. Some of us may get to retire early!

lost · Post by **lost** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 7:20 am

With todays Tech. all it would mean is that the pilot would be sitting in an office instead of the A/C. Until things progress a bit I don't see the cost saving. .... Of course I'm just a pilot so maybe there's more to it than I understand.

Justwannafly · Post by **Justwannafly** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 8:14 am

lost wrote:With todays Tech. all it would mean is that the pilot would be sitting in an office instead of the A/C. Until things progress a bit I don't see the cost saving. .... Of course I'm just a pilot so maybe there's more to it than I understand.

yep...& then oneday Osama hacks the system & Flys 50 FexEx planes all across Northamerica into buildings.....

sinjin · Post by **sinjin** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 7:00 pm

yep...& then oneday Osama hacks the system & Flys 50 FexEx planes all across Northamerica into buildings.....

yes and having pilots helped that last time, right? oh wait..

FamilyGuy · Post by **FamilyGuy** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 7:13 pm

Hate to burst any bubbles but this isn't that hard to see happening...soon.

Really hate to burst any more bubbles but what makes you think it will be actual pilots commanding these things around. Why have a middle man between ATC and aircraft when ATC already has a secure facility with direct comm (including secure data) ability to the aircraft and is really the only party that controls where it goes anyway?

Routine ops are possible today - emergencies are a slightly harder problem - but only slightly. At least cracked windsheilds won't be a problem.

For the record - ain't no way I'd get in one and I wouldn't be comfortable living anywhere near an approach to a runway!!! It's not just the self loading cargo that is an issue - think about others on the ground irrespective of the terrorist threat (which isn't that great)

xsbank · Post by **xsbank** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 12:08 am

Its not hard to get an airplane to buzz off to where you want it and to do and approach and land it but nobody's figured out how to taxi it in and dock it, yet.

. ._ · Post by **. ._** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 5:16 am

Single pilot big jets for passengers, folks. It'll happen. There will be 2 on board for long flights. That there's an ISTP prediction, and I'd bet money it'll happen in the next 20 years.

People thought a 747 couldn't be flown with less than 3 pilots. Hmmm.

Will I fly a jet with no pilot on board? Well if I'm on the jet, a pilot will be on board! So sure!

-istp

flyinphil · Post by **flyinphil** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 5:41 am

istp wrote:
Will I fly a jet with no pilot on board? Well if I'm on the jet, a pilot will be on board! So sure!

You're assuming there would be a cockpit??

B18rules · Post by **B18rules** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 5:53 am

I just heard on the radio that the border protection agency will be flying unmanned planes for surveilance of the US Canada border starting in the spring of 08 and get this the people operating these things will be in California

. ._ · Post by **. ._** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 6:23 am

So the thousands of Iraqi terrorists staging on the Saskatchewan border will have to wait till freezing rain conditions to invade Montana.

-istp

Blakey · Post by **Blakey** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 6:30 am

xsbank wrote:Its not hard to get an airplane to buzz off to where you want it and to do and approach and land it but nobody's figured out how to taxi it in and dock it, yet.

I don't know about "docking" but they taxi them every day where I work. Even wait in the que at the hold point too. Really freaky!

Jakob · Post by **Jakob** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 6:40 am

Man, I always hate reading these threads-- am I making a huge mistake by just getting into this now?? I don't want to waste time and money training only to be useless in a few years...

happily.retired · Post by **happily.retired** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 6:54 am

So long as the American governent insists on fear mongering as a tool of governmental control people will not accept pilotless planes. And how will they justify the domination of oil rich nations if they don't convince everyone that terrorists are EVERYWHERE?

neilaroberts · Post by **neilaroberts** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 7:00 am

Jakob wrote:Man, I always hate reading these threads-- am I making a huge mistake by just getting into this now?? I don't want to waste time and money training only to be useless in a few years...

I don't think they'll be using them to haul cans of Dinty Moore from Prince Albert to Wollaston Lake. So if that's what you're into, keep at er'!

lost · Post by **lost** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 7:06 am

How long did it take canada to accept gps approaches? I think the idea of pilotless planes landing at major airports is a way off. Also think of the setup cost, buying new planes or retrofitting old ones, ATC etc. Christ in Canada we are still flying most freight with 727's. How long has it been since passenger planes had so's?... our cargo fleets still have them. While I'm not saying it won't happen eventually I think if your working today your safe for another 30-40 years at least. IMHO

Walker · Post by **Walker** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 7:34 am

Its not going to be a question of the technology its going to be a question of if you can sell tickets… Its going to be another generation before your going to find people with enough faith in the technology that would be willing to ride in it, if your getting into it now I suspect you’ll be fine, if your getting into it in 15 years, well that may be another story. Then again after the carbon Taxes come in were all screwed anyway so I guess it doesn’t really matter

mbav8r · Post by **mbav8r** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 9:05 am

The thing that bothers me about this, is for the most part the planes fly themselves now with auto land, auto braking and so on. but noone has mentioned(I don't think)systems fail and back up systems fail and planes have electrical failures, what then?Who will over ride the systems.
The public needs to be informed that even cargo planes are laden with fuel and burst into flames on impact. I think before this happens someone will expose these issues and there will be uproar from the general public.
IMHO

Wasn't it said, that the most common phrase heard in the cock pit with the new technologies is "whats it doing now?"

Walker · Post by **Walker** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 9:41 am

Well from my understanding if you have an electric failure on a modern heavy your toast anyway because there is no physical connection with the control surfaces, its all pumps and solenoids…

Big Pratt · Post by **Big Pratt** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 11:37 am

Wasn't it said, that the most common phrase heard in the cock pit with the new technologies is "whats it doing now?"

That's what rookies say...

Once you have some experience you'll be saying:

"Hey, look, it's doing it again"