AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2013 - 16

LETTERS
Proficient Pilot

Going pilotless

BY BarrY Schiff

Will automation and computers eliminate the crew?
When Pan american World airWaYS and Trans

bArry schIff

is a former TWA
captain who has
been writing for
AOPA Pilot for
almost 50 years.

World Airlines plied the world’s oceanic routes in the
final evolution of propeller-driven airliners (using aircraft such as the Lockheed L–1649A Constellation and
the Douglas DC–7C), the international cockpit crew
consisted of five men: a captain, a first officer, a flight
engineer, a navigator, and a radio operator (who communicated with ground stations in Morse code).
The first of these to be phased out by advancing
technology was the radio operator. The introduction
of relatively easy-to-use HF (high-frequency) transceivers relegated “Sparks” (as he was called) to the ash
heap of history. The navigator (“Magellan”) used a sextant to measure the altitude (angular distance above
the horizon) of the sun, moon, and stars to obtain lines
of position. He was next to go. Early jetliners were
equipped with Doppler navigation, specialized radar
systems that determined aircraft track and groundspeed, which made the celestial navigator obsolete.
Phasing out radio operators and navigators was understandable and accepted by other crew members.
The introduction of automated fuel, electrical,
hydraulic, and environmental systems on the Boeing 767,
however, resulted in a more controversial reduction of
flight-deck manpower—removal of the flight engineer.
Pilots argued that eliminating the third crewmember
was cutting into muscle. The engineer was particularly
valuable during emergencies. Without him, one pilot is
left to concentrate on flying the airplane while the other
must comply under pressure with the dictates of the
appropriate checklist, something best handled by two
(to ensure that mistakes are not made during critical
and complex procedures). One pilot handling an emergency on his own can be a recipe for disaster, and there
is little doubt that accidents have occurred because of
crew overload. Many still believe that eliminating the
flight engineer was misguided.
Where is this discussion leading? Many are convinced that further automation and computerization
will eliminate the co-pilot and, eventually, the captain.
Think not? Think again. If a spaceship can be sent to
Mars, execute an approach to a planet that is far more
complex than an ILS, land safely, and deposit a remotely
controlled rover, it would obviously be much less challenging to remotely control an airliner from takeoff to
landing. Much of the equipment needed to accomplish
this is already aboard the modern jetliner.

On the other hand, a flight to Mars does not involve
threading one’s way through a squall line, coping with
wind shear, and dealing with myriad other challenging
variables. The evolution of drone technology, however,
provides growing and convincing evidence that pilots
eventually will become relics of a bygone era.
Pilots began to see the writing on the wall when the
Boeing 767 entered service in 1982. We said with tongue
in cheek that the lone airline pilot of the future would
board the airplane but be prevented from entering the
cockpit by a glass barrier. Mounted on the glass would
be a fire ax and a placard stating, “Break glass in case
of emergency.” The pilot would then take a seat in the
cabin and keep himself occupied until after the airplane
lands itself and is taxied remotely to the gate.
Airline pilots enjoyed telling the story about how
passengers would someday board an airliner, take their
seats, and then hear over the public-address system,
“Welcome aboard Flight 482 operating nonstop to
New York. This is not your pilot. This airplane actually
does not have a pilot. It is so technologically sophisticated that it does not need one. This is a recording.
You have nothing to fear, however. This airplane is
the safest and most reliable aircraft ever developed.
Nothing can possibly go wrong…go wrong…go wrong…
go wrong….”
Sound exaggerated? It is not. One cargo carrier—it
is thought to be FedEx—is seriously investigating the
possibility of pilotless aircraft. (The notion of phasing
out those pesky pilots is a management’s dream come
true.) The formerly golden State of California has
passed legislation paving the way for integrating driverless automobiles on state highways. In 2011 Nevada
passed a similar law providing for driverless vehicles.
Imagine the frustration of being stuck behind one of
those ground-bound drones on a superhighway while
it is operating at or below the speed limit. No one seems
to know how a driverless automobile would respond to
an impatient driver honking his horn.
Will pilotless airplanes appear in the general
aviation fleet? Count on it, which is why I might
have to purchase an elderly Aeronca Champ that
cannot possibly be flown remotely. I can only hope
that it will remain legal to operate such archaic (and
fun!) technology.
AOPA
WeB

www.barryschiff.com

18 | AOPA PILOT April 2013

“I was entering the aviation workforce as
an A&P in the late 1970s with the aspiration of working my way to the left seat from
the flight engineer position, which, as Barry
Schiff pointed out, was eliminated about that
time. Here’s the joke that was told: In the
future, aircraft will be operated by a crew of
two, a man and a dog. The man’s job will be
to feed the dog. The dog’s job will be to bite
the man if he attempts to touch the controls.”
William Crowl
AOPA 1789433
Wilton, Connecticut

will ever have the technology
to eliminate the pilot from the
cockpit. My answer has always
been that the technology has
existed for many years, so the
question is not when it can be
done, but when can it be sold?
“Would you put your family on such an airplane?” The
answer has always been “no.”
The instant that time arrives,
however, you can bet your bottom dollar (pun intended) that
the “break glass in case of emergency” cockpit will be installed
in some future air vehicle.
David Moffet
AOPA 1261220
Williamson, Georgia

We welcome your comments.
Editor, AOPA Pilot, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland

old and I hope, if this really
happens, I’ll be dead by then—
probably of a heart attack.
Richard Magnan
AOPA 5493107
Linden, New Jersey

It was most entertaining to
read Barry Schiff ’s piece on
pilotless aircraft. While I fully
agree with his conclusions and,
understanding that his treatise
was mostly tongue-in-cheek,
the issue appears to be more

Spin videos
Really nice job on demonstrating spin recovery (“The Spin Zone”).
The camera shots of the panel and elevator/rudder were especially helpful. While I have not experienced a spin, I think I better
understand the situation.
Terry Voorhees
AOPA 4830597
Bonita Springs, Florida

16 | AOPA PILOT June 2013

economic than technological. As a longtime airline and
GA pilot, I’ve been asked more
times than I can recall if “we”

HANGAR TALK

of the crew such as the radio
operator and the navigator
made some sense, since the
technology evolved. To have a
complete cockpit free of pilot
and co-pilot is a fantasy greed
of the airlines. What would
have happened if Captain Sully
and his co-pilot were not there
over the Hudson River? “Will
pilotless airplanes appear in the
GA aviation fleet? Count on it,”
says Barry Schiff. I’m 61 years

21701 or email (pilot@aopa.
org). Letters may be edited
for length and style before
publication.

An AOPA Pilot survey of favorite
magazine covers a few years
ago revealed a clear preference
among AOPA members for
retro, radial-engine aircraft—and
de Havilland’s DHC-2 Beaver
was at the top of the list. AOPA
Photographer Chris Rose went
hunting for a float-equipped Beaver that typified the
proud and rugged icon of the north, and he found it
in Florida, of all places. “Ryan Seaplanes has an
absolutely pristine DHC-2 they use for advanced
training, and it turned out to be exactly what Chris
had been looking for,” said Senior Editor Dave
Hirschman (“Beaver Checkout,” page 50). One
flight in the muscular, exquisitely balanced Beaver
proved that AOPA members have a discerning taste
in airplanes. “Our members sure got this one right,”
Hirschman said. “This is a de Havilland masterpiece.”
“When the clouds are down but
you’ve had a long day, maybe
it’s time to punt,” advises AOPA
Foundation President Bruce
Landsberg. “But for professional
charter pilots that’s not an
option.” (See “Safety Pilot Landmark Accident: Perception is Not
Reality,” page 60.) “Flying low
approaches requires keeping the needles centered.
If that doesn’t work, a missed approach is the way
to go but distractions must be suppressed while we
get some altitude between us and the ground.”

http://www.barryschiff.com

AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2013