Look Ma, no pilot

[williepete]

I'll wait several years before getting in one.


Watch Airbus' radical autonomous air taxi complete its 'most exciting' test yet | Daily Mail Online


Airbus' Vahana project completed first full transition flight on May 3, firm says

• In the test, it lifted off vertically and switched to horizontal flight at over 100mph
• It then slowed down to land vertically, marking a critical milestone in flight tests
• Vahana has been working to get single-seater craft production ready by 2020

 

[caddo kid]

the Vahana is nothing more than a drone that can transport humans.

Drone technology has been around since WWII.

There is already at least one vehicle (that I know of) made by a Chinese company that is extremely similar to the Vahana.

 

[williepete]

the Vahana is nothing more than a drone that can transport humans.

Drone technology has been around since WWII.

And conventional aircraft have been flying since 1903. Not the point I was trying to highlight. See title.

Who will be controlling it? Or will it be programed for a specific route and released? More importantly, how will malfunctions known as inflight emergencies be handled with no pilot? Machines break. Flying machines break in the air. Just wondering how these early malfunctions will pan out.

 

[Pilot1]

Planes can already take off and land by themselves. Pilots are becoming system managers that are there for a malfunction, more than to fly the plane. AI is at the point where airplanes could become autonomous, and totally automated, but people are too afraid of that at this point.

 

[williepete]

Pilots are becoming system managers that are there for a malfunction, more than to fly the plane.

Yes. And as I see regularly to the detriment of their flying skills.
When they suddenly need to fly out of a bad situation, they fail to do so. I also see too much reliance on automation.

I think we are quickly approaching the point where you will only have one pilot in the cockpit and his "copilot" will me a mission control center. This flying taxi by Airbus jumps straight to the no pilot configuration.

 

[Crepitus]

Planes can already take off and land by themselves. Pilots are becoming system managers that are there for a malfunction, more than to fly the plane. AI is at the point where airplanes could become autonomous, and totally automated, but people are too afraid of that at this point.

Look ma! No passengers!

 

[williepete]

 

[Ridgerunner]

Pilots are becoming system managers that are there for a malfunction, more than to fly the plane.

Yes. And as I see regularly to the detriment of their flying skills.
When they suddenly need to fly out of a bad situation, they fail to do so. I also see too much reliance on automation.

I think we are quickly approaching the point where you will only have one pilot in the cockpit and his "copilot" will me a mission control center. This flying taxi by Airbus jumps straight to the no pilot configuration.

With out folks like...

We might as well be playing...

…

 

[caddo kid]

the Vahana is nothing more than a drone that can transport humans.

Drone technology has been around since WWII.

And conventional aircraft have been flying since 1903. Not the point I was trying to highlight. See title.

Who will be controlling it? Or will it be programed for a specific route and released? More importantly, how will malfunctions known as inflight emergencies be handled with no pilot? Machines break. Flying machines break in the air. Just wondering how these early malfunctions will pan out.

The Chinese example that I noted earlier basically has a 'point B' option, chosen by the occupant(s).
Punch in the destination, buckle up, the craft lifts off, and you are on your way to point B.
It's been at least two, maybe three years since I saw the Chinese 'craft' in multiple online sources & I'm not sure if it is in production, or even in use.
As with all forms of transport, people will inevitably be injured & die. That is the general nature of human transport.
Improvements will come along, less accidents will happen, and more people will purchase the technology as improvements are made.
It's the same ole story with every form of transport ever know to human kind.