Use of remote pilots in the future?
Sing For Supper writes:
Is there an effort to develop flight software and avionics integration
to allow for a remote pilot (using remote control) to co pilot a general
aviation plane?
Not that I'm aware of. What would be the advantage, at least for hobbyist
pilots, who fly specifically because they want to pilot the airplane
themselves by hand?
I with SatNav readily available and with cameras on the
nose (regular and night vision) there is really no reason that any GA
plane with advanced glass panel avionics could not be remotely flown.
Sure, but why?
The technology is all there and working in drones, radio controlled
model aircraft. An incorporation of fly-by-wire technology, satellite
communications and all computerized cockpits can be configured to be
remotely flown.
Military drones are remotely flown because it prevents pilots from dying, and
for other reasons that are fairly specific to military use.
Is there a move for this? I am not suggesting that passenger plane have
no pilot, but is it not feasible for the co-pilot to be remote?
If one pilot is local, they should both be local, and vice versa. I don't
think remote control of airliners is in the cards at any time in the
foreseeable future, for reasons already stated, and also because of security
risks and the desire of passengers to make the pilots share the risk (a pilot
who risks dying if he makes a mistake may be more careful than one who's
sitting at a desk hundreds of miles away).
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