Maybe one day we'll have pilots reserved for emergencies, but only on the ground like drone operators. Hotswapping between flights that need corrections as problems occur.
Obviously not going to happen tomorrow and needs more robust communications infrastructure over the deadzones of the planet but it's fun to imagine. I trust machines more than people, unless they're made by Boeing.
Automation can (eventually) significantly reduce pilot error; it also has a more reliable way of fixing corrects and avoiding regressions. Automation isn't just about the cost of the person flying the plane, at some point in the development curve it is just a better choice (e.g. why factory robots can do better work than manual assembly workers).
I agree with that. What would be interesting to read is how is data collected right now? Is it compared between automation and manual operation. Who is actually doing data crunching - airlines, Airbus or avionics supplier?
From what I've read it seems that the "leader" Tesla's fleet learning is largely a myth.
The FAA is really serious about making sure accidents don’t happen for the same reason twice. That involves changes to hardware as well as pilot training, they crunch the data for the USA, similar authorities do it for other countries as well.
1% extra profit is something competitive airlines like Ryanair would no doubt appreciate. Also it could ensure the aircraft operates at optimal fuel efficiency, which is central to their business model. Maybe for national airliners these marginal gains matter less and automation could be a bad look for them.
We already have satellite communications for media and voice, but iirc they have fairly limited bandwidth constraints. I think figuring out a way to get the flight recorder data to operators in realtime would be the first problem to solve, and I don't think it's been done yet for commercial flights.
There was a startup around like 5-6 years ago (gone now, can't find any info on them, their name was "Flamingo" something or other) that had a proof of concept solution but they burned out quickly.
Yes, it can, although I can't be sure it will work at 500 mph. They tested it with a C-12, which has a top speed of 338 mph, and were able to transfer data at 610 Mbps.
Yes. The USAF has already tested it successfully on several aircraft.
A Starlink receiver always has the satellite(s) in fairly fast motion, and phased array antennas can "move" quite quickly, so it's possible that there's no particular challenge to an aircraft scenario. Then again, the basic rooftop unit may make some simplifying assumptions and aircraft would require better hardware and/or software, but that's not a big problem as they can handle a higher price point.
Obviously not going to happen tomorrow and needs more robust communications infrastructure over the deadzones of the planet but it's fun to imagine. I trust machines more than people, unless they're made by Boeing.