Airlines want you to get comfortable with flying without a co-pilot. Pilots—and fliers—are not convinced

[Dashinka 23,397]

This could be interesting.  Personally, would not be really confident with a single pilot especially considering all the stuff that has been happening over the past three years.  This in addition to all the Air Disaster shows I have seen, in particular the ones where the plane was saved (reference NW Airlines Flight 85, Qantas Flight 32, TACA flight 110, or Air Canada flight 143 “Gimli Glider”).  With the issues involved in these incidents, I really doubt it would have ended positively with a single pilot).

 

Airlines want you to get comfortable with flying without a co-pilot. Pilots—and fliers—are not convinced

Airlines and regulators are pushing to have just one pilot in the cockpit of passenger jets instead of two. It would lower costs and ease pressure from crew shortages, but placing such responsibility on a single person at the controls is unsettling for some. 

 

 

Over 40 countries including Germany, the UK and New Zealand have asked the United Nations body that sets aviation standards to help make single-pilot flights a safe reality. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has also been working with planemakers to determine how solo flights would operate and preparing rules to oversee them. EASA said such services could start in 2027.

 

The plan doesn’t sit well with pilots. It’s a hard sell for passengers, too. 
 

Tony Lucas, an Airbus SE A330 captain for Qantas Airways Ltd. and president of the Australian & International Pilots Association, is concerned that a lone pilot might be overwhelmed by an emergency before anyone else has time to reach the cockpit to help.

 

https://fortune.com/2022/11/21/airlines-pushing-one-pilot-in-cockpit-passenger-jets-instead-of-two/

 

[TBoneTX 43,485]

11 minutes ago, Dashinka said:

just one pilot in the cockpit of passenger jets

Used to be that a Navigator was present with the Captain and First.

[Boiler 43,790]

There was a flight engineer when 3 was the norm.

[Ban Hammer 12,897]

what could possibly go wrong?

Edited November 21, 2022 by Ban Hammer

[TBoneTX 43,485]

1 hour ago, Boiler said:

flight engineer

That's what I was thinking of.

[LIBrty4all 3,749]

Aircraft operate every single day single pilot.  It's coming to airlines as well, though I doubt as soon as 2027.  Maybe after the US bans all ICE vehicles.

[Mike E 11,727]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Odyssey_of_Flight_33
 

The first time I watched that episode (in syndication of course) I was surprised  that a  Boeing  707 required this cockpit crew:

• Captain 
• First Officer 
•  Navigator 
•  Flight Engineer 
•  2nd Officer 

Growing up I was familiar with there being 3 person crews on mainliners, but had no idea jet airliners once had more than 3 to a cockpit. 
 

I was once on a commercial flight from Adelaide to Kangaroo island with a single pilot.  YOLO 

 

 

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,335]

2 hours ago, LIBrty4all said:

Aircraft operate every single day single pilot.  It's coming to airlines as well, though I doubt as soon as 2027.  Maybe after the US bans all ICE vehicles.

As you remember our company pilot operates our jet single pilot 

[Lemonslice 4,609]

https://bnonews.com/index.php/2022/11/pilot-dies-after-plane-takes-off-from-chicago/

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,335]

5 hours ago, Lemonslice said:

https://bnonews.com/index.php/2022/11/pilot-dies-after-plane-takes-off-from-chicago/

It won't be long before a remote pilot could log in and land the plane safely.

[TBoneTX 43,485]

46 minutes ago, Nature Boy 2.0 said:

a remote pilot could log in

Hopefully not a hacker.

[LIBrty4all 3,749]

6 hours ago, Lemonslice said:

https://bnonews.com/index.php/2022/11/pilot-dies-after-plane-takes-off-from-chicago/

It has become more common the past year.  Know of at least 6 different times a pilot has either died or become incapacitated while flying.  Try to find a news article about WS-661 (WestJet 661),  Just do a normal search for the incident, I doubt you will find much.  

Spoiler

https://avherald.com/h?article=5016ba1e

 

 

Also, no airline wants to release the data, but the number of pilots out on medical leave are estimated to have increased 300-400% in the past 18 months.  You WON'T find that info anywhere online.

Edited November 24, 2022 by LIBrty4all

[Neonred 3,461]

Just wondering... Isn't Google or Tesla working on a self flying plane?  😃

[LIBrty4all 3,749]

3 hours ago, Neonred said:

Just wondering... Isn't Google or Tesla working on a self flying plane?  😃

The military is.  Drones for years, but this past year, the Air Force has been refueling fighter jets with a single-pilot tanker with said pilot doing very little to complete the mission.

[Dashinka 23,397]

On 11/24/2022 at 11:15 AM, LIBrty4all said:

The military is.  Drones for years, but this past year, the Air Force has been refueling fighter jets with a single-pilot tanker with said pilot doing very little to complete the mission.

Drones are not really self flying though are they?  I may be wrong, but I thought drones were controlled from a ground station operator.

Edited November 25, 2022 by Dashinka