Actually, because travelling almost anywhere has become a right, royal pain in the rectum, and because I no longer live under a flight path, I don't really care if the 'brainiacs' insist on having pilotless planes. However, the chances of me travelling on one are somewhere between 0.0 and -0.1. And yes, I do realise that a fairly large percentage of pilots like a drink or six, and frequently have a miserable love-life and because they are often married to former stewardesses - nudge-nudge, wink-wink! - they can never be absolutely sure what goes on when they fly to Australia but even so, 99% of them prefer to live than die! Of course, you do get the odd loony who might dive your plane into the sea but - hey, shit happens! I will take my chances with all of that but I will never, ever trust my life to a robot.
Lest you think me alarmist, allow me to remind you of all those clever, electronic gadgets you have either purchased or been given as a gift over the years. What is their common trait? Yes, they always bloody well go wrong and always just when you need them most! If you doubt me - surely not! - just take a long, hard look at your computer-thingie and dwell on those moments when you were absolutely desperate to check something out and the bloody-bloody thing stops working. If that happens in a plane I can just imagine the conversation with the other robot who mans the 'Helpline Desk'!
All of the above, of course, applies to driverless cars as well. I'm telling you now, you are safer having a grumpy, short-tempered, old git like me behind the wheel than some vehicle which quietly and calmly informs you that you are heading for a wall at 90 mph so please call the Help Desk!
Sorry, David, for commercial jets it's already too late:
"Question: How much of a 3,000-mile flight is controlled by the autopilot?
-- submitted by reader Norm, MA
Answer: Usually the autopilot is engaged soon after takeoff and remains engaged until just before landing. I would estimate that over 90% of most flights are flown with the autopilot engaged."
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/columnist/cox/2014/08/11/autopilot-control-takeoff-cruising-landing/13921511/#
You'd best learn to love our new robot overlords.
Posted by: Bob | Wednesday, 09 August 2017 at 14:10
I have wondered about a pilot's visual skills more than once. Out my window I could see the sides of too many high mountains at a distance that alarmed me. Once I asked a stewardess, yes I know, if the pilot might want to come look out my window as it might give him a different perspective. She assured me that the pilot was flying VFR and no auto anything was activated. We landed in the right place. I was glad Hughes Air West went under.
Posted by: Whitewall | Wednesday, 09 August 2017 at 14:25
Mostly off topic, but these machines are interesting too:
http://www.businessinsider.com/declassified-photos-of-atomic-bombs-2017-8/
Posted by: Bob | Wednesday, 09 August 2017 at 14:43
Bob, you missed the point, it's not auto pilots I object to, they are switched on by the pilot and switched off when he takes over. It's *pilotless* planes I don't trust.
Posted by: David Duff | Wednesday, 09 August 2017 at 15:01
I was reminded this morning about how vulnerable we are when we rely on technology. I arrived at my desk and my cubicle had no power. I couldn't even get a phone number to call in for the service. It was just my cubicle so others made the call for me.
At home, I am very low tech. I do have a computer and a quite clever phone, but everything else is low tech with hard copy backups. I have a phone book, I make ice the old fashioned way. I would cook over an open fire if I could get away with it!
Posted by: missred | Wednesday, 09 August 2017 at 15:18
David, if you already trust autopilots to fly a jet 90% of the time, what's the problem? Robots are already better than humans at lots of tasks. They can fail, but so can people, and for now robots are incapable of being malicious or depressed.
Posted by: Bob | Wednesday, 09 August 2017 at 16:11
If it goes wrong all you gotta do is switch it off and on again. ;-)
Mind you, when my cycle computer ran out of battery it was rather disconcerting not knowing how fast I was going and what my heart rate or cadence was. I don't know how I managed to get home. :-(
Posted by: Frank | Wednesday, 09 August 2017 at 16:21
Unlike cars, aircraft are surrounded by lots of empty space.
Posted by: backofanenvelope | Wednesday, 09 August 2017 at 18:14
surrounded by lots of empty space
BoE it is probably the bit of empty space underneath the aircraft that worries Duffers.
Posted by: AussieD | Thursday, 10 August 2017 at 00:59
When do robots and the like generally go wrong? When some idiot human interacts with them.Left to their own devices they do have an incredibly good record.
Posted by: Epikouros | Thursday, 10 August 2017 at 11:57
Well Epi of course I cannot know but, perhaps David last Christmas received from SoD (the tech expert) a Galaxy Note 7?
(No, no need you Epi suggest regicide. My reach is wide.)
Posted by: JK | Thursday, 10 August 2017 at 19:39
"Unlike cars, aircraft are surrounded by lots of empty space."
"It is probably the bit of empty space underneath the aircraft that worries Duffers."
It's the hard ground or the ocean under the empty space that worries me Chaps!!
Posted by: Juliet46 | Thursday, 10 August 2017 at 19:47
And me, Juliet! Oh, and welcome to D&N.
Posted by: David Duff | Thursday, 10 August 2017 at 20:14