Is One Pilot on Commercial Flights Enough?
- 11 years ago
Single pilot flights may be a possibility for future commercial jobs.
If you were about to board a huge commercial plane and learned it only had one pilot, would you actually get on it?
Looking for ways to cut costs, 35 industry leaders have embarked upon a nearly 40 million dollar research mission to determine if one pilot can do what two typically handle.
As many crashes are caused by pilot error, the typical preventative means is to have two in the cockpit watching each other. Airlines actually send 4 pilots on long range flights, the second set as reserves. The group is discussing replacing the second pilot with complex avionics systems designed to monitor activity and assist in decision making.
The systems would be expected to operate in cases of crew incapacitation, extreme weather and other critical situations.
Should the only available pilot suddenly become incapacitated when it’s time to land the plane, fear not. The Internet is loaded with instructional videos on how to land both a 737 and many Airbus models.
One pilot who wrote about the plausibility of a passenger being able to handle the job believes the key at any low level of familiarity with a cockpit is the ability to find the radio. If communication with the tower can be established and maintained, there may be hope.
If you were about to board a huge commercial plane and learned it only had one pilot, would you actually get on it?
Looking for ways to cut costs, 35 industry leaders have embarked upon a nearly 40 million dollar research mission to determine if one pilot can do what two typically handle.
As many crashes are caused by pilot error, the typical preventative means is to have two in the cockpit watching each other. Airlines actually send 4 pilots on long range flights, the second set as reserves. The group is discussing replacing the second pilot with complex avionics systems designed to monitor activity and assist in decision making.
The systems would be expected to operate in cases of crew incapacitation, extreme weather and other critical situations.
Should the only available pilot suddenly become incapacitated when it’s time to land the plane, fear not. The Internet is loaded with instructional videos on how to land both a 737 and many Airbus models.
One pilot who wrote about the plausibility of a passenger being able to handle the job believes the key at any low level of familiarity with a cockpit is the ability to find the radio. If communication with the tower can be established and maintained, there may be hope.